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I fear you are more right then not, Garrett. The GOP is determined to run this country off a cliff while the orange ego is hoping to over rule voters and establish his fascist authoritarian state. I am hoping our votes still count and we see a blue wave in the next two elections and maybe we can begin to heal the damage caused by the orange ego and poisonously destructive GOP. Still, the chaotically infighting Democrats with their small-minded liberal wing doesn't give me much hope. They only have to put up some decent people to run but are so locked in self-defeating in-fighting they are empowering the wanna-be fascists to take over.
Liberalism does not work either! Americans generally are centrists (see my article Americans are Centrists). Both parties refuse to accept that! We don't want fascists or liberals in charge. It is not looking good for our country.
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[{"content": "What We Call American Democracy\n\nThe Repurposing\n\nAmerican democracy starts with a promise. The people hold the power, and the government is supposed to answer to them. In theory, it is a system of elected representatives, protected rights, and laws that apply to everyone. That includes presidents.\n\nThe Constitution lays out how the government works. It defines what the branches can and cannot do. It protects certain freedoms. Among them are due process, equal protection under the law, free speech, the right to protest, and the right to vote.\n\nBut here is what most people miss. There is no guaranteed right to vote in every election. The Constitution says you cannot be denied a vote because of your race, sex, or age. It bans poll taxes. But it doesn't say that every citizen gets to vote no matter what. States decide how elections are run, and that changes everything. States control the process. They decide how registration works, what ID is required, how ballots are handled, and where the polls go. That is why voting is easy in some states and obstructed in others. Suppression hides behind rules. It does not say, \"You cannot vote.\" It says, \"You missed the deadline,\" or \"Your name is not on the list.\"\n\nRights only matter when they are applied fairly and upheld without exception.\n\nThat is no longer happening in 2025. Due process is threatened by a political climate that calls dissent treason. Immigration raids skip procedure. Political enemies are accused before evidence appears. Loyalty, not justice, is the standard.\n\nThis is what happens when rights become conditional, given only to the quiet, the loyal, or the useful.\n\nThe system keeps running, not because it works, but because enough people pretend it does.\n\nThis is not just about laws being broken. It is about democratic norms being abandoned. These are the unwritten rules that once kept power in check. Democratic norms are more than tradition. They are restraints. Without them, law bends and democracy breaks. These norms stopped presidents from targeting opponents. They kept courts from becoming weapons. They forced losing parties to respect the outcome. They were not perfect. But they mattered.\n\nThey no longer hold.\n\nThe GOP has discarded them. It rejects election results, restricts voting access, and hides behind a partisan court. Its leaders now threaten retribution as policy. Trump has promised to use federal power to punish critics. His allies are drawing up plans to purge civil servants and take over independent agencies. He has said he would suspend parts of the Constitution if they interfere with his return.\n\nMuch of this agenda is spelled out in Project 2025, written by the Heritage Foundation and backed by right-wing groups. It is a step-by-step plan to turn the federal government into a tool of personal loyalty and ideological enforcement. The Justice Department, the FBI, and regulatory agencies would lose independence. Federal workers could be fired for their politics. Civil liberties would be redefined to fit whatever narrative holds power. This is not theory. It is a manual for authoritarian rule, designed to operate through executive order. It is already influencing how Trump abuses power. The plan may not be law, but its goals are guiding what gets done and who gets targeted.\n\nIn 2024, the Supreme Court delivered its most dangerous decision yet. After years of political stacking, the justices gave presidents a blank check. As long as they call it official, they cannot be prosecuted. Not for corruption. Not for violence. Not for anything. What used to be a system of accountability now protects the powerful, leaving the public exposed.\n\nThe ultra-wealthy are not just watching. They are investing. They fund the candidates, shape the message, and pick the judges. They use the First Amendment not to speak, but to silence. They do not need to win elections. They just need to tilt the field.\n\nAnd where is the Democratic Party?\n\nToo often, it chooses comfort over confrontation. It avoids naming the threat. It plays by old rules while the floor falls out. Some leaders still treat this as politics as usual. They reach across the aisle to people tearing the building down.\n\nWhen in power, Democrats failed to act. They left the Voting Rights Act gutted. They ignored calls to expand the courts. They passed on codifying protections that are now unraveling. This is not gridlock. It is surrender.\n\nThe two-party system traps voters in a false choice. One party dismantles democracy. The other tries to patch it with tape and slogans. Third parties cannot compete. Reforms like ranked-choice voting could change that, but both parties fight to keep things as they are.\n\nAmerican democracy began with contradiction. Slavery lived beside liberty. Women were excluded. Indigenous nations were erased. States' rights were used to block freedom more often than protect it. But over time, movements grew. Rights expanded. Progress was possible.\n\nNow, that progress is reversing.\n\nDemocracy is not a structure. It is something we have to practice. Without that effort, the structure becomes meaningless.\n\nWhat we call American democracy is eroding. Rights are no longer guaranteed. Justice is no longer reliably neutral. Power is no longer restrained. What remains is a system that protects the abusers and secures their corruption of power. The question is no longer whether democracy can be preserved. The question is whether enough people still care enough to fight for it.\n\nhttps://buymeacoffee.com/garrettb.matty and Check out my Gumroad store.\n\nIf my raw, cynical words hit home, stick around.\nClap. Follow. Read. Reach out.\nThanks for being here.", "role": "2e2154f09106", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"000f09c187d4\", \"title\": \"What We Call American Democracy\", \"subtitle\": \"The Repurposing\", \"author\": \"2e2154f09106\", \"publication_id\": \"6be1376cb7a7\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-26 13:46:45\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-07-31 14:46:25\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"american-democracy\", \"democracy\", \"politics\", \"donald-trump\", \"authoritarianism\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 289, \"voters\": 16, \"reads\": 67, \"views\": 94, \"presentations\": 640, \"word_count\": 967, \"responses_count\": 3, \"reading_time\": 3.849056603773585, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/the-left-is-right/what-we-call-american-democracy-000f09c187d4\", \"unique_slug\": \"what-we-call-american-democracy-000f09c187d4\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*F3GPHBvj-Fu8kdsI-fRItQ.png\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {\"medium.com\": [{\"title\": \"You Knew. 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{"demographics": {"age group": "Likely 60s-70s (explicitly identifies as 'older white male' and mentions knowing Reagan personally)", "gender": "Male (explicitly states 'Being an older white male' in response)", "location": "United States (discusses U.S. politics as domestic issues, mentions being Republican)", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "American (discusses U.S. political party membership and domestic policy)", "other": "White (explicitly self-identifies as 'older white male'); identifies as Republican but considers self moderate"}, "interests": ["Russia-Ukraine conflict and military strategy, demonstrating detailed knowledge of specific aircraft like 'A-10' and 'SU-25 Frogfoot'", "NATO expansion and European geopolitics, discussing 'Sweden and Norway in NATO' and Kaliningrad sanctions", "U.S. Republican Party dynamics and internal divisions between 'far right wing' and moderates", "Military hardware and defense technology, providing technical comparisons of weapons systems", "Historical economic policy, referencing '1930 to 1970 the tax rate on the wealthiest' was '75%'", "Putin's political and psychological state, analyzing his 'mental breakdown' and 'insecurities'", "Third-party political movements and moderate coalition-building in U.S. politics", "Taxation policy and wealth distribution, advocating for 'audit anyone making more than $500,000 annually'", "Chinese-Russian territorial disputes and resource competition, discussing 'oil producing region' in Siberia", "Social programs and 'socialism' balanced with capitalism, citing 'Scandinavian countries' as models", "World War II history and military victories, discussing '400,000 lives' lost and Kuwait 1990", "International sanctions and diplomatic policy, tracking Lithuania's 'reversed the sanctions ruling'"], "values": ["Strong advocacy for political moderation, repeatedly calling for 'a third party of moderates' to bridge partisan divides", "Support for progressive taxation, stating 'There should indeed be a vast increase in the IRS' to audit wealthy individuals", "Belief that 'a bit of socialism is good for the economy' and society should be built 'from the lowest point, the poor'", "Opposition to far-right politics and 'fascism (or modern feudalism as they seek to protect and empower the elite)'", "Criticism of 'trickle down economics' and Reagan's 'austerity policies' despite personal friendship with Reagan", "Support for Ukraine in conflict with Russia, describing Ukraine as 'doing a terrific job of biting him back'", "Belief in evidence-based analysis, frequently providing Reuters links and factual corrections to others", "Concern about wealth concentration, warning against 'wealthy control the government and 99% of the money'", "Pragmatic view of military conflict, acknowledging 'a win is a win' while recognizing costs of war", "Disillusionment with current Republican Party, stating 'The Republican Party left me long ago'", "Support for social safety nets like 'Social Security and Medicare' as contributing to America's 'golden age'", "Belief in compromise and 'parity through giving each party control of only one part of congress'"], "communication": ["Writes lengthy, analytical responses with multiple paragraphs, often exceeding 150-200 words per response", "Frequently provides external citations and hyperlinks, such as Reuters and Yahoo News articles to support claims", "Uses rhetorical questions to frame arguments, asking 'How far will Putin go? Can he maintain his sanity?'", "Employs vivid metaphors and analogies, like 'young featherweight boxer pummeling an aging, tired heavyweight'", "Incorporates parenthetical asides extensively to add context, such as '(Warren Buffet is one)' and '(I still admire that man)'", "Demonstrates technical knowledge with specific details like '8 of their 17 total shot down' and '$500,000 annually'", "Balances passionate political opinions with measured, analytical tone and factual grounding", "Provides historical context and precedents, referencing periods like '1930 to 1970' and 'President Herbert Hoover'", "Uses emphatic punctuation and capitalization sparingly but effectively, such as 'Russia will not survive!'", "Engages directly with other commenters' points, offering corrections like 'Actually Lithuania has reversed the sanctions ruling'", "Structures complex arguments with multiple supporting points and evidence before reaching conclusions", "Occasionally uses colloquial expressions like 'stinging the bear' while maintaining overall formal tone"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 120-150 words, with range from 30 words (minimum) to 350+ words (maximum)", "Most frequent terms include 'Putin,' 'GOP,' 'moderate,' 'third party,' 'Russia,' 'Ukraine,' 'wealthy,' and 'economy'", "Consistently uses complex sentence structures with multiple clauses and subordinate phrases", "Frequently employs numbered lists and parenthetical citations within flowing prose", "Uses exclamation points sparingly but strategically for emphasis, approximately 1-2 per longer response", "Incorporates specific numerical data in most responses (percentages, dates, casualty figures, dollar amounts)", "Tends to structure responses with context-setting opening, detailed analysis middle, and conclusive statement", "Uses rhetorical questions in approximately 40% of responses to frame analytical points"]}
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There are multiple Biblical references to exactly this phenomenon, like the one in Matthew about noticing the speck in your brother's eye while ignoring the log in your own. Funny how those messages get ignored by the very people who are condemning others. . .
Your commentary above is right on. Religion has always been used this way, and it often bases its format on the human family: "God the Father" telling you what to do, and of course, that particular "God" is better than anyone else's -- just as "my father can beat up your father!"
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[{"content": "Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\n\nThey don't care about greed, violence, or actual harm - just who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\n\nHere's a fun question for you: Why do religious fundamentalists care more about what's in your pants than what's in your heart?\n\nYou can lie, cheat, hoard wealth, or start wars - barely a peep. But have sex outside of marriage, be gay, or even show a little cleavage? Suddenly you're the devil in human form. Why is that?\n\nShame is Their Favorite Weapon\n\nLet's start with the obvious: sex is natural. Everyone has sexual thoughts. Everyone has urges. That's biology, not sin. But if you're raised in a culture that tells you those thoughts are evil, that your body is dirty, that masturbation is \"spiritual death\" - you're not going to grow up feeling very free.\n\nYou grow up ashamed.\n\nAnd once someone feels ashamed of something they can't stop doing, they become easy to manipulate. Religious leaders say, \"You're broken. But don't worry - we have the cure.\" And just like that, you're hooked. Not on God, but on guilt.\n\nThat guilt becomes a leash.\n\nObsession With Purity Isn't Holy - It's Creepy\n\nHave you ever noticed how much fundamentalists talk about virginity? Girls especially. Entire \"purity movements\" are built around the idea that your value disappears the second you have sex. They hand out rings. They hold fake weddings where teenage girls \"marry\" their dads until their future husband shows up. That's not religion. That's mental illness wrapped in Bible verses.\n\nIt's not about holiness. It's about ownership.\n\nBecause to these people, a girl's body isn't hers. It's a man's property - first the dad, then the husband. That's why \"modesty\" is preached to girls from the second they hit puberty. Not to protect them. To police them.\n\nNo one in these circles teaches boys to control their lust. Instead, girls are told to cover up so men don't \"stumble.\" Translation? If a guy can't keep it in his pants, it's your fault.\n\nThat's not morality. That's blaming the victim.\n\nThey Don't Care About Consent - Just Control\n\nFundamentalists talk a lot about \"sexual sin,\" but they don't care about rape - unless it's politically useful. They don't care about abuse, either. In fact, a lot of them protect abusers. Look at the Catholic Church. Look at all the pastors caught molesting kids or sleeping with their congregants while preaching \"family values.\"\n\nIt's not a bug. It's a feature.\n\nIf they truly cared about preventing harm, they'd focus on consent, safety, and respect. But they don't. They care about obedience. And in their view, obedience means following rules - no matter how stupid or cruel.\n\nThat's why they'll scream about a gay couple kissing on TV, but ignore pastors who beat their wives. Or priests who get shuffled around after raping altar boys. It's never about protecting people. It's about defending their twisted power structure.\n\nIf you liked this post, go ahead and subscribe here to get notified whenever a new one is up!\n\nWhy Sex? Because It's the One Sin Everyone Commits\n\nLet's be real. Most people don't murder. Most people don't rob banks. But almost everyone, at some point, will have sex in a way religion disapproves of - whether it's before marriage, outside marriage, with the \"wrong\" gender, or just for fun.\n\nSo it becomes the perfect trap. You sin. You feel bad. They swoop in.\n\nAnd the cycle continues.\n\nIt also works because it's easy to spot. You can't always tell when someone's greedy or hateful, but you can tell if a girl's pregnant, or if someone's openly gay, or if they post \"thirst traps\" online. Sex is visible. That makes it punishable. And fundamentalists love punishing people - it makes them feel holy.\n\nBut Jesus Wasn't Like That\n\nWhat's wild is that the guy they claim to follow - Jesus - didn't act this way. Not even close. He hung out with prostitutes. He didn't shame them. He didn't demand they wear long skirts or take purity vows. He told people not to judge. He preached love, not rules.\n\nBut modern fundamentalists have more in common with the Pharisees Jesus hated - religious control freaks who nitpicked people's behavior while ignoring their own hypocrisy.\n\nThey don't want a faith that challenges their pride or makes them confront greed, racism, violence, or injustice. That's hard. That takes courage. It's much easier to obsess over sex and pretend that's what holiness is about.\n\nThey Fear Freedom\n\nThe truth is, sex terrifies fundamentalists. Because once people realize sex isn't evil, they start questioning everything.\n\nIf sex before marriage doesn't send you to hell, maybe other \"rules\" aren't so sacred either. Maybe God doesn't hate gay people. Maybe women aren't inferior. Maybe masturbation won't destroy your soul.\n\nAnd that's dangerous - to them.\n\nBecause when people stop feeling ashamed, they stop needing someone to fix them. They stop blindly obeying. They start thinking for themselves. And for fundamentalists, that's the biggest threat of all.\n\nIt's Not Just One Religion - They All Do It\n\nReligious fundamentalists from every major religion seem to follow the same playbook: obsess over sex in public, cover up corruption in private. And the countries where these people hold power are often drowning in corruption. It doesn't matter whether the religion is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism - when fundamentalists are in charge, you can bet two things are true: people are getting shamed for sex, and someone at the top is stealing money.\n\nTake the United States. Evangelical Christians constantly scream about gay marriage, abortion, modesty, and \"biblical values.\" They demand purity pledges from teenagers and try to ban books with sex education. But behind closed doors, pastors get caught in sex scandals, churches cover up abuse, and politicians who run on \"family values\" are exposed as serial cheaters. The U.S. ranks 24th on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index - not terrible, but worse than it used to be. Legalized bribery (called lobbying), dark money in politics, and religious grifters in government are dragging it down fast.\n\nThen there's Iran, where women are beaten or jailed for not wearing their hijab properly, and the government promotes strict Islamic morality. Public displays of affection are criminalized. But the same clerics preaching chastity are often part of a corrupt elite stealing billions in oil money. Iran ranks 149th out of 180 countries in corruption. That's rock bottom. The government uses religious laws to crack down on regular people while their buddies run ghost companies and smuggle cash out of the country. Public morality is just a distraction.\n\nSaudi Arabia isn't any better. The kingdom enforces harsh Islamic laws against sex outside marriage and same-sex relationships. LGBT+ people can be imprisoned or executed. But the royal family lives like Western billionaires - flying in escorts, drinking in private, and throwing wild parties in Europe. Public morality is tightly policed, but corruption is built into the system. Saudi Arabia ranks 54th on the corruption index, but that number is misleading. In an absolute monarchy, there's no accountability - just good PR. When the crown prince talks about cracking down on corruption, what he really means is arresting rivals and seizing their assets for himself.\n\nIn India, Hindu nationalists preach about sexual purity and \"traditional values.\" They protest kissing scenes in movies and blame women for rape if they dress \"immodestly.\" Meanwhile, rape culture is rampant, and some religious leaders have been convicted of rape and abuse. Asaram Bapu, a famous Hindu godman, was sentenced to life in prison for raping a teenage girl. Politicians who cozy up to these fundamentalist groups stay silent or defend the abusers. India ranks 93rd in corruption - officially mid-level, but everyday bribery, political deals, and religious favoritism are everywhere.\n\nIn Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities also have a disturbing obsession with sex and purity. They suppress sex education, limit women's rights, and often handle sexual abuse cases \"internally,\" which means no justice at all. Victims are silenced to protect the community's image. Religious parties hold disproportionate power in government coalitions, often trading votes for funding and influence. Israel ranks 33rd in corruption, but the system still rewards religious parties that block progress and enable abuse behind closed doors.\n\nAnd then there's Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims push sexual morality while the country collapses under the weight of corruption. Pastors preach against premarital sex and homosexuality while buying private jets with church donations. Imams call for Sharia law while politicians from their mosques steal entire budgets. Nigeria ranks 145th in corruption - one of the worst in the world. Yet somehow, it's always the poor and powerless who get punished for \"immorality,\" while the thieves at the top walk free.\n\nAcross all these countries, the pattern is the same. The louder someone screams about sin, the more likely they're hiding something. Obsessing over sex is a smokescreen - a cheap way to control people and distract them from real crimes. These governments and religious leaders don't care about morality. They care about obedience, silence, and keeping their stolen power.\n\nThe Last Thought\n\nAt the end of the day, their obsession with sex is really an obsession with your body. They don't want you to own it. They want to dictate what you wear, who you sleep with, when, how, and why. They want to tell women what to do with their wombs. They want to make laws that punish people for loving the \"wrong\" way.\n\nAnd they always call it \"God's will.\"\n\nBut it's not about God. It's about control. It always has been.\n\nRead the whole thing? Good. Now drop a comment, follow for more unholy truths, and tell the world what you think.\n\nThis piece was written and edited with the assistance of Grammarly.", "role": "aabaa6b621e4", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"000fccb77429\", \"title\": \"Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\", \"subtitle\": \"They don\\u2019t care about greed, violence, or actual harm\\u200a\\u2014\\u200ajust who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\", \"author\": \"aabaa6b621e4\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-16 07:30:04\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-10-10 13:23:13\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"religion\", \"sexuality\", \"politics\", \"culture\", \"christianity\"], \"topics\": [\"equality\"], \"claps\": 225, \"voters\": 18, \"reads\": 84, \"views\": 106, \"presentations\": 805, \"word_count\": 1647, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 6.415094339622642, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@tannerthesecularist/why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"unique_slug\": \"why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*TCNnXOfpDG04gKjKsdy2-Q.png\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"That's not morality. 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{"counts": {"id": "025122f0793c", "title": "There are multiple Biblical references to exactly this phenomenon, like the one in Matthew about\u2026", "subtitle": "Your commentary above is right on. Religion has always been used this way, and it often bases its format on the human family: \"God the\u2026", "author": "4126507c8b1d", "publication_id": "*Self-Published*", "published_at": "2025-07-16 15:24:04", "last_modified_at": "2025-07-16 15:24:04", "boosted_at": "", "tags": [], "topics": [], "claps": 10, "voters": 1, "reads": 0, "views": 2, "presentations": 0, "word_count": 96, "responses_count": 1, "reading_time": 0.3622641509433962, "url": "https://medium.com/@ingridscott_34369/there-are-multiple-biblical-references-to-exactly-this-phenomenon-like-the-one-in-matthew-about-025122f0793c", "unique_slug": "there-are-multiple-biblical-references-to-exactly-this-phenomenon-like-the-one-in-matthew-about-025122f0793c", "image_url": "", "lang": "en", "is_series": false, "is_locked": false, "is_shortform": true, "top_highlight": ""}, "assets": {"other_embeds": {}}, "fans": {"id": "025122f0793c", "voters": ["aabaa6b621e4"], "count": 1}, "responses": {"id": "025122f0793c", "responses": ["ea388a47b18b"], "count": 1}, "user_metadata": {"user": {"id": "4126507c8b1d", "username": "ingridscott_34369", "fullname": "Ingridscott", "bio": "Retired RN, Pediatric NP, EMT. Interested in all sorts of things, from medical, philosophical, art, space, the universe and new inventions.s.", "followers_count": 81, "following_count": 150, "publication_following_count": 34, "image_url": "https://miro.medium.com/v2/1*dmbNkD5D-u45r44go_cf0g.png", "twitter_username": "", "is_writer_program_enrolled": true, "allow_notes": true, "medium_member_at": "2024-06-11 11:56:12", "friend_since": "", "is_suspended": false, "top_writer_in": [], "has_list": true, "is_book_author": false, "tipping_link": null, "bg_image_url": "", "logo_image_url": "", "tier": "MEMBER"}, "interests": {"id": "4126507c8b1d", "tags_followed": ["neuroscience", "atheism", "climate-change", "philosophy", "humor", "history", "science", "health", "politics"], "count": 9}}, "comment_metrics": {"sentiment": "strongly_positive", "stance": "strong_agree", "emotion": "annoyance", "content_type": "evidence", "humor": "Dry Aside", "hostility": "No Hostility"}, "all_comment_metrics": {"sentiment": ["strongly_positive", "strongly_negative", "strongly_positive"], "stance": ["strong_agree", "strong_agree", "strong_agree"], "emotion": ["annoyance", "annoyance", "annoyance"], "content_type": ["evidence", "evidence", "assert"], "humor": ["Sarcasm / Irony", "Dry Aside", "Dry Aside"], "hostility": ["No Hostility", "No Hostility", "No Hostility"]}}
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{"demographics": {"age group": "NA (likely 55+ based on having grandchildren)", "gender": "NA", "location": "United States", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "American", "other": "Has children and grandchildren as mentioned in 'worried for the future of our kids and grandkids'"}, "interests": ["US politics and Trump administration criticism, engaging with multiple articles about 'Donald Trump's' actions and policies", "Constitutional democracy and governmental processes, noting 'Congressional Republicans' role and constitutional mechanisms", "International relations and diplomacy, analyzing the 'Zelenskyy' meeting as 'staged' and praising his 'dignity & restraint'", "Climate change and environmental leadership, praising 'Pope Francis' as 'friends with the sun' and climate advocacy", "Political humor and satire, enjoying 'dark humor in the face of disaster' and Trump jokes", "Corporate ethics and social responsibility, responding to 'Heineken in Ethiopia' with ethical concerns", "Media analysis and political theater, identifying when events are 'televised' for propaganda purposes", "Resistance movements and political activism, discussing 'fighting back' against administration actions", "Global perspectives on American politics, engaging with commentary from 'Patagonia' and international viewpoints", "Historical political comparisons and authoritarianism, using terms like 'Mussolini' and 'Project 2025'", "Constitutional law and oath-taking ceremonies, noting Trump 'didn't put his hand on the Bible'", "Future of American democracy, expressing hope to 'survive with enough left to rebuild'"], "values": ["Strong opposition to Trump, using nicknames 'Mango Mussolini' and expressing concern about 'democracy-destroying' actions", "Commitment to constitutional democracy, hoping to 'rebuild ourselves in some semblance of a constitutional democracy again'", "Solidarity with fellow Trump opponents, stating 'Half of us DIDN'T vote' for him and 'We're on your side'", "Concern for future generations, being 'very worried for the future of our kids and grandkids'", "Appreciation for dignity and restraint in leadership, praising Zelensky's behavior that 'made him tower over Trump'", "Environmental consciousness, supporting climate action and criticizing 'push for fossil fuels'", "Resistance and activism, emphasizing 'those of us who are opposing him any way we can'", "Critical thinking and media literacy, identifying 'staged' events and analyzing political theater", "Empathy for international perspectives, acknowledging concerns from 'Canadian' and other global viewpoints", "Ethical consumption awareness, stating 'I used to like Heineken. . . not any more after reading this'", "Hope despite adversity, repeatedly expressing 'I hope we survive' and 'Wish us luck'", "Accountability for enablers, identifying 'Congressional Republicans' and 'enablers' as 'the real villains'"], "communication": ["Uses creative political nicknames like 'Mango Mussolini' and 'Donald Trump's Clock' for satirical effect", "Employs first-person plural pronouns ('we,' 'us') to express solidarity with other Trump opponents", "Mixes humor with serious political commentary, appreciating 'dark humor in the face of disaster'", "Writes in clear, grammatically correct sentences with proper punctuation and paragraph structure", "Directly addresses other commenters and authors by name, such as 'Ricky' and 'Canadian' commenter", "Provides detailed analytical observations, noting specific details like Bible placement and televised meeting setup", "Expresses both pessimism about current situation and hope for future recovery in balanced way", "Uses emphatic punctuation and parenthetical asides for emphasis, like '(Yes, Congressional Republicans, I'm talking about you.)'", "Varies response length from brief reactions (10 words) to substantive analysis (100+ words)", "Employs exclamation points to convey enthusiasm or emphasis, particularly in expressions of agreement", "References specific political concepts like 'Project 2025' showing informed engagement with political discourse", "Ends responses with forward-looking statements about survival, rebuilding, or hope for the future"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 50-60 words, ranging from minimum 10 words to maximum 120+ words", "Most frequent phrases include 'Trump,' 'democracy,' 'hope,' 'survive,' 'rebuild,' 'fighting back,' and 'kids and grandkids'", "Consistently uses first-person plural ('we,' 'us,' 'our') when discussing Americans opposing Trump", "Frequently employs exclamation points for emphasis, appearing in 6 of 8 responses", "Uses political nicknames and metaphors ('Mango Mussolini,' 'Oval children,' 'sea of ignorance') for rhetorical effect", "Sentence structure varies from simple declarations to complex compound-complex sentences with multiple clauses", "Regularly includes direct address to other users or authors, personalizing engagement", "Shows pattern of agreement phrases ('I agree,' 'right on,' 'Excellent commentary,' 'Well said') before elaborating"]}
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You nailed it. It is always about control and putting shame on other people. It is often astonishing how clearly they pinpoint sins and wrongdoings of other people but fail to recognize their own. Resembling a shizophrenic state of mind.
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[{"content": "Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\n\nThey don't care about greed, violence, or actual harm - just who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\n\nHere's a fun question for you: Why do religious fundamentalists care more about what's in your pants than what's in your heart?\n\nYou can lie, cheat, hoard wealth, or start wars - barely a peep. But have sex outside of marriage, be gay, or even show a little cleavage? Suddenly you're the devil in human form. Why is that?\n\nShame is Their Favorite Weapon\n\nLet's start with the obvious: sex is natural. Everyone has sexual thoughts. Everyone has urges. That's biology, not sin. But if you're raised in a culture that tells you those thoughts are evil, that your body is dirty, that masturbation is \"spiritual death\" - you're not going to grow up feeling very free.\n\nYou grow up ashamed.\n\nAnd once someone feels ashamed of something they can't stop doing, they become easy to manipulate. Religious leaders say, \"You're broken. But don't worry - we have the cure.\" And just like that, you're hooked. Not on God, but on guilt.\n\nThat guilt becomes a leash.\n\nObsession With Purity Isn't Holy - It's Creepy\n\nHave you ever noticed how much fundamentalists talk about virginity? Girls especially. Entire \"purity movements\" are built around the idea that your value disappears the second you have sex. They hand out rings. They hold fake weddings where teenage girls \"marry\" their dads until their future husband shows up. That's not religion. That's mental illness wrapped in Bible verses.\n\nIt's not about holiness. It's about ownership.\n\nBecause to these people, a girl's body isn't hers. It's a man's property - first the dad, then the husband. That's why \"modesty\" is preached to girls from the second they hit puberty. Not to protect them. To police them.\n\nNo one in these circles teaches boys to control their lust. Instead, girls are told to cover up so men don't \"stumble.\" Translation? If a guy can't keep it in his pants, it's your fault.\n\nThat's not morality. That's blaming the victim.\n\nThey Don't Care About Consent - Just Control\n\nFundamentalists talk a lot about \"sexual sin,\" but they don't care about rape - unless it's politically useful. They don't care about abuse, either. In fact, a lot of them protect abusers. Look at the Catholic Church. Look at all the pastors caught molesting kids or sleeping with their congregants while preaching \"family values.\"\n\nIt's not a bug. It's a feature.\n\nIf they truly cared about preventing harm, they'd focus on consent, safety, and respect. But they don't. They care about obedience. And in their view, obedience means following rules - no matter how stupid or cruel.\n\nThat's why they'll scream about a gay couple kissing on TV, but ignore pastors who beat their wives. Or priests who get shuffled around after raping altar boys. It's never about protecting people. It's about defending their twisted power structure.\n\nIf you liked this post, go ahead and subscribe here to get notified whenever a new one is up!\n\nWhy Sex? Because It's the One Sin Everyone Commits\n\nLet's be real. Most people don't murder. Most people don't rob banks. But almost everyone, at some point, will have sex in a way religion disapproves of - whether it's before marriage, outside marriage, with the \"wrong\" gender, or just for fun.\n\nSo it becomes the perfect trap. You sin. You feel bad. They swoop in.\n\nAnd the cycle continues.\n\nIt also works because it's easy to spot. You can't always tell when someone's greedy or hateful, but you can tell if a girl's pregnant, or if someone's openly gay, or if they post \"thirst traps\" online. Sex is visible. That makes it punishable. And fundamentalists love punishing people - it makes them feel holy.\n\nBut Jesus Wasn't Like That\n\nWhat's wild is that the guy they claim to follow - Jesus - didn't act this way. Not even close. He hung out with prostitutes. He didn't shame them. He didn't demand they wear long skirts or take purity vows. He told people not to judge. He preached love, not rules.\n\nBut modern fundamentalists have more in common with the Pharisees Jesus hated - religious control freaks who nitpicked people's behavior while ignoring their own hypocrisy.\n\nThey don't want a faith that challenges their pride or makes them confront greed, racism, violence, or injustice. That's hard. That takes courage. It's much easier to obsess over sex and pretend that's what holiness is about.\n\nThey Fear Freedom\n\nThe truth is, sex terrifies fundamentalists. Because once people realize sex isn't evil, they start questioning everything.\n\nIf sex before marriage doesn't send you to hell, maybe other \"rules\" aren't so sacred either. Maybe God doesn't hate gay people. Maybe women aren't inferior. Maybe masturbation won't destroy your soul.\n\nAnd that's dangerous - to them.\n\nBecause when people stop feeling ashamed, they stop needing someone to fix them. They stop blindly obeying. They start thinking for themselves. And for fundamentalists, that's the biggest threat of all.\n\nIt's Not Just One Religion - They All Do It\n\nReligious fundamentalists from every major religion seem to follow the same playbook: obsess over sex in public, cover up corruption in private. And the countries where these people hold power are often drowning in corruption. It doesn't matter whether the religion is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism - when fundamentalists are in charge, you can bet two things are true: people are getting shamed for sex, and someone at the top is stealing money.\n\nTake the United States. Evangelical Christians constantly scream about gay marriage, abortion, modesty, and \"biblical values.\" They demand purity pledges from teenagers and try to ban books with sex education. But behind closed doors, pastors get caught in sex scandals, churches cover up abuse, and politicians who run on \"family values\" are exposed as serial cheaters. The U.S. ranks 24th on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index - not terrible, but worse than it used to be. Legalized bribery (called lobbying), dark money in politics, and religious grifters in government are dragging it down fast.\n\nThen there's Iran, where women are beaten or jailed for not wearing their hijab properly, and the government promotes strict Islamic morality. Public displays of affection are criminalized. But the same clerics preaching chastity are often part of a corrupt elite stealing billions in oil money. Iran ranks 149th out of 180 countries in corruption. That's rock bottom. The government uses religious laws to crack down on regular people while their buddies run ghost companies and smuggle cash out of the country. Public morality is just a distraction.\n\nSaudi Arabia isn't any better. The kingdom enforces harsh Islamic laws against sex outside marriage and same-sex relationships. LGBT+ people can be imprisoned or executed. But the royal family lives like Western billionaires - flying in escorts, drinking in private, and throwing wild parties in Europe. Public morality is tightly policed, but corruption is built into the system. Saudi Arabia ranks 54th on the corruption index, but that number is misleading. In an absolute monarchy, there's no accountability - just good PR. When the crown prince talks about cracking down on corruption, what he really means is arresting rivals and seizing their assets for himself.\n\nIn India, Hindu nationalists preach about sexual purity and \"traditional values.\" They protest kissing scenes in movies and blame women for rape if they dress \"immodestly.\" Meanwhile, rape culture is rampant, and some religious leaders have been convicted of rape and abuse. Asaram Bapu, a famous Hindu godman, was sentenced to life in prison for raping a teenage girl. Politicians who cozy up to these fundamentalist groups stay silent or defend the abusers. India ranks 93rd in corruption - officially mid-level, but everyday bribery, political deals, and religious favoritism are everywhere.\n\nIn Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities also have a disturbing obsession with sex and purity. They suppress sex education, limit women's rights, and often handle sexual abuse cases \"internally,\" which means no justice at all. Victims are silenced to protect the community's image. Religious parties hold disproportionate power in government coalitions, often trading votes for funding and influence. Israel ranks 33rd in corruption, but the system still rewards religious parties that block progress and enable abuse behind closed doors.\n\nAnd then there's Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims push sexual morality while the country collapses under the weight of corruption. Pastors preach against premarital sex and homosexuality while buying private jets with church donations. Imams call for Sharia law while politicians from their mosques steal entire budgets. Nigeria ranks 145th in corruption - one of the worst in the world. Yet somehow, it's always the poor and powerless who get punished for \"immorality,\" while the thieves at the top walk free.\n\nAcross all these countries, the pattern is the same. The louder someone screams about sin, the more likely they're hiding something. Obsessing over sex is a smokescreen - a cheap way to control people and distract them from real crimes. These governments and religious leaders don't care about morality. They care about obedience, silence, and keeping their stolen power.\n\nThe Last Thought\n\nAt the end of the day, their obsession with sex is really an obsession with your body. They don't want you to own it. They want to dictate what you wear, who you sleep with, when, how, and why. They want to tell women what to do with their wombs. They want to make laws that punish people for loving the \"wrong\" way.\n\nAnd they always call it \"God's will.\"\n\nBut it's not about God. It's about control. It always has been.\n\nRead the whole thing? Good. Now drop a comment, follow for more unholy truths, and tell the world what you think.\n\nThis piece was written and edited with the assistance of Grammarly.", "role": "aabaa6b621e4", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"000fccb77429\", \"title\": \"Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\", \"subtitle\": \"They don\\u2019t care about greed, violence, or actual harm\\u200a\\u2014\\u200ajust who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\", \"author\": \"aabaa6b621e4\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-16 07:30:04\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-10-10 13:23:13\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"religion\", \"sexuality\", \"politics\", \"culture\", \"christianity\"], \"topics\": [\"equality\"], \"claps\": 225, \"voters\": 18, \"reads\": 84, \"views\": 106, \"presentations\": 805, \"word_count\": 1647, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 6.415094339622642, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@tannerthesecularist/why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"unique_slug\": \"why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*TCNnXOfpDG04gKjKsdy2-Q.png\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"That's not morality. 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{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "Germany", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "German", "other": "Demonstrates knowledge of European politics and economics; writes from European perspective; references personal desire to visit Canada again"}, "interests": ["US-Russia-Ukraine geopolitical conflict and peace negotiations, frequently analyzing Putin's strategy and Trump's approach", "Democratic institutions and constitutional checks and balances, particularly their erosion in the United States", "Historical parallels between current political developments and Nazi Germany/WWII, drawing explicit comparisons", "International trade policy, tariffs, and economic systems including the Triffin paradox and currency wars", "NATO, European security architecture, and transatlantic relations in the post-Trump era", "Authoritarianism versus democracy as the defining political struggle of the 21st century", "Nuclear deterrence theory and the risks of nuclear escalation in the Ukraine conflict", "Media influence and propaganda, both historical (Nazi Germany) and contemporary (right-wing media)", "European Union policy and its response to US political changes and security challenges", "China's global role and its relationship with Russia, Taiwan, and the United States", "Corporate power and tech billionaires' alignment with authoritarian political movements"], "values": ["Strong commitment to democracy and rule-based international order, warning 'Democracy seems doomed in the US, checks and balances do not hold up'", "Deep opposition to fascism and authoritarianism, repeatedly stating 'The US is on the verge of becoming a fascist state'", "Support for Ukraine's sovereignty and resistance against Russian imperialism, calling for stronger European backing", "Belief in international cooperation over nationalist isolationism, criticizing Trump's approach of 'Negotiating with Putin over the heads of Ukraine and Europe'", "Commitment to truth and reality-based decision making, noting 'you cannot go on forever denying reality and live with lies'", "Gratitude for historical US role in defeating Nazi Germany while lamenting current trajectory toward authoritarianism", "Concern about corporate and billionaire influence on politics, referencing 'tech bros jumping into bed with fascists regimes'", "Belief in standing up to nuclear-armed aggressors rather than appeasement, arguing 'you give in to all nuclear power states if they want to have your country'", "Support for European strategic autonomy and independence from unreliable US leadership", "Opposition to imperialism and territorial aggression, whether from Russia, China, or the United States", "Concern about wealth inequality and policies favoring billionaires over average citizens"], "communication": ["Writes lengthy analytical responses ranging from brief agreements ('Exactly') to extensive 400+ word geopolitical analyses", "Frequently employs historical analogies, particularly Nazi Germany and WWII, stating 'As a German, I am thankful that the US stepped in to stop Nazi Germany and now they are going in the same direction'", "Uses direct, sometimes harsh language including 'psychotic narcissist Trump,' 'criminal gang on top,' and 'This unbelievable stupid US government'", "Structures arguments logically with cause-and-effect reasoning and conditional statements ('If...then' constructions)", "Employs parenthetical asides for additional context, clarification, or sardonic commentary", "Occasionally uses humor and sarcasm, responding to a satirical piece with 'There must have been laughter breaks... \ud83e\udd23'", "Engages substantively with other commenters, building on their arguments with phrases like 'Well said, that is exactly what is happening'", "Uses ellipses frequently for emphasis, trailing thoughts, or dramatic pauses", "Provides specific examples and detailed analysis rather than abstract generalizations", "Employs rhetorical questions to emphasize points and challenge opposing viewpoints", "Mixes formal analytical language with colloquial expressions and metaphors"], "statistics": ["Response length varies from 1 word ('Exactly') to over 400 words, with most substantive responses between 150-300 words", "Frequently used terms include 'US government,' 'Putin,' 'Russia,' 'Ukraine,' 'Trump,' 'fascist/fascism,' 'democracy,' 'Nazi Germany,' 'WW2/WWII'", "Common phrases include 'checks and balances,' 'rule-based order,' 'the US is on the verge of,' 'psychotic narcissist'", "Employs complex compound sentences with multiple clauses and subordinate constructions", "Uses conditional statements and hypothetical scenarios frequently to explore consequences", "Average response length approximately 180 words; minimum 1 word; maximum over 400 words", "Frequently uses first-person perspective ('I am,' 'I would assume,' 'I really cannot believe') to express personal views", "Employs em dashes, parentheses, and ellipses for stylistic variation and emphasis"]}
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This puts me in mind of a very neglected passage from C.S. Lewis' "Mere Christianity"
The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of putting other people in the wrong, of bossing and patronising and spoiling sport, and back-biting; the pleasures of power, of hatred. For
there are two things inside me, competing with the human self which I must try to become. They are
the Animal self, and the Diabolical self. The Diabolical self is the worse of the two. That is why a
cold, self-righteous prig who goes regularly to church may be far nearer to hell than a prostitute. But,
of course, it is better to be neither.
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[{"content": "Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\n\nThey don't care about greed, violence, or actual harm - just who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\n\nHere's a fun question for you: Why do religious fundamentalists care more about what's in your pants than what's in your heart?\n\nYou can lie, cheat, hoard wealth, or start wars - barely a peep. But have sex outside of marriage, be gay, or even show a little cleavage? Suddenly you're the devil in human form. Why is that?\n\nShame is Their Favorite Weapon\n\nLet's start with the obvious: sex is natural. Everyone has sexual thoughts. Everyone has urges. That's biology, not sin. But if you're raised in a culture that tells you those thoughts are evil, that your body is dirty, that masturbation is \"spiritual death\" - you're not going to grow up feeling very free.\n\nYou grow up ashamed.\n\nAnd once someone feels ashamed of something they can't stop doing, they become easy to manipulate. Religious leaders say, \"You're broken. But don't worry - we have the cure.\" And just like that, you're hooked. Not on God, but on guilt.\n\nThat guilt becomes a leash.\n\nObsession With Purity Isn't Holy - It's Creepy\n\nHave you ever noticed how much fundamentalists talk about virginity? Girls especially. Entire \"purity movements\" are built around the idea that your value disappears the second you have sex. They hand out rings. They hold fake weddings where teenage girls \"marry\" their dads until their future husband shows up. That's not religion. That's mental illness wrapped in Bible verses.\n\nIt's not about holiness. It's about ownership.\n\nBecause to these people, a girl's body isn't hers. It's a man's property - first the dad, then the husband. That's why \"modesty\" is preached to girls from the second they hit puberty. Not to protect them. To police them.\n\nNo one in these circles teaches boys to control their lust. Instead, girls are told to cover up so men don't \"stumble.\" Translation? If a guy can't keep it in his pants, it's your fault.\n\nThat's not morality. That's blaming the victim.\n\nThey Don't Care About Consent - Just Control\n\nFundamentalists talk a lot about \"sexual sin,\" but they don't care about rape - unless it's politically useful. They don't care about abuse, either. In fact, a lot of them protect abusers. Look at the Catholic Church. Look at all the pastors caught molesting kids or sleeping with their congregants while preaching \"family values.\"\n\nIt's not a bug. It's a feature.\n\nIf they truly cared about preventing harm, they'd focus on consent, safety, and respect. But they don't. They care about obedience. And in their view, obedience means following rules - no matter how stupid or cruel.\n\nThat's why they'll scream about a gay couple kissing on TV, but ignore pastors who beat their wives. Or priests who get shuffled around after raping altar boys. It's never about protecting people. It's about defending their twisted power structure.\n\nIf you liked this post, go ahead and subscribe here to get notified whenever a new one is up!\n\nWhy Sex? Because It's the One Sin Everyone Commits\n\nLet's be real. Most people don't murder. Most people don't rob banks. But almost everyone, at some point, will have sex in a way religion disapproves of - whether it's before marriage, outside marriage, with the \"wrong\" gender, or just for fun.\n\nSo it becomes the perfect trap. You sin. You feel bad. They swoop in.\n\nAnd the cycle continues.\n\nIt also works because it's easy to spot. You can't always tell when someone's greedy or hateful, but you can tell if a girl's pregnant, or if someone's openly gay, or if they post \"thirst traps\" online. Sex is visible. That makes it punishable. And fundamentalists love punishing people - it makes them feel holy.\n\nBut Jesus Wasn't Like That\n\nWhat's wild is that the guy they claim to follow - Jesus - didn't act this way. Not even close. He hung out with prostitutes. He didn't shame them. He didn't demand they wear long skirts or take purity vows. He told people not to judge. He preached love, not rules.\n\nBut modern fundamentalists have more in common with the Pharisees Jesus hated - religious control freaks who nitpicked people's behavior while ignoring their own hypocrisy.\n\nThey don't want a faith that challenges their pride or makes them confront greed, racism, violence, or injustice. That's hard. That takes courage. It's much easier to obsess over sex and pretend that's what holiness is about.\n\nThey Fear Freedom\n\nThe truth is, sex terrifies fundamentalists. Because once people realize sex isn't evil, they start questioning everything.\n\nIf sex before marriage doesn't send you to hell, maybe other \"rules\" aren't so sacred either. Maybe God doesn't hate gay people. Maybe women aren't inferior. Maybe masturbation won't destroy your soul.\n\nAnd that's dangerous - to them.\n\nBecause when people stop feeling ashamed, they stop needing someone to fix them. They stop blindly obeying. They start thinking for themselves. And for fundamentalists, that's the biggest threat of all.\n\nIt's Not Just One Religion - They All Do It\n\nReligious fundamentalists from every major religion seem to follow the same playbook: obsess over sex in public, cover up corruption in private. And the countries where these people hold power are often drowning in corruption. It doesn't matter whether the religion is Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism - when fundamentalists are in charge, you can bet two things are true: people are getting shamed for sex, and someone at the top is stealing money.\n\nTake the United States. Evangelical Christians constantly scream about gay marriage, abortion, modesty, and \"biblical values.\" They demand purity pledges from teenagers and try to ban books with sex education. But behind closed doors, pastors get caught in sex scandals, churches cover up abuse, and politicians who run on \"family values\" are exposed as serial cheaters. The U.S. ranks 24th on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index - not terrible, but worse than it used to be. Legalized bribery (called lobbying), dark money in politics, and religious grifters in government are dragging it down fast.\n\nThen there's Iran, where women are beaten or jailed for not wearing their hijab properly, and the government promotes strict Islamic morality. Public displays of affection are criminalized. But the same clerics preaching chastity are often part of a corrupt elite stealing billions in oil money. Iran ranks 149th out of 180 countries in corruption. That's rock bottom. The government uses religious laws to crack down on regular people while their buddies run ghost companies and smuggle cash out of the country. Public morality is just a distraction.\n\nSaudi Arabia isn't any better. The kingdom enforces harsh Islamic laws against sex outside marriage and same-sex relationships. LGBT+ people can be imprisoned or executed. But the royal family lives like Western billionaires - flying in escorts, drinking in private, and throwing wild parties in Europe. Public morality is tightly policed, but corruption is built into the system. Saudi Arabia ranks 54th on the corruption index, but that number is misleading. In an absolute monarchy, there's no accountability - just good PR. When the crown prince talks about cracking down on corruption, what he really means is arresting rivals and seizing their assets for himself.\n\nIn India, Hindu nationalists preach about sexual purity and \"traditional values.\" They protest kissing scenes in movies and blame women for rape if they dress \"immodestly.\" Meanwhile, rape culture is rampant, and some religious leaders have been convicted of rape and abuse. Asaram Bapu, a famous Hindu godman, was sentenced to life in prison for raping a teenage girl. Politicians who cozy up to these fundamentalist groups stay silent or defend the abusers. India ranks 93rd in corruption - officially mid-level, but everyday bribery, political deals, and religious favoritism are everywhere.\n\nIn Israel, ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities also have a disturbing obsession with sex and purity. They suppress sex education, limit women's rights, and often handle sexual abuse cases \"internally,\" which means no justice at all. Victims are silenced to protect the community's image. Religious parties hold disproportionate power in government coalitions, often trading votes for funding and influence. Israel ranks 33rd in corruption, but the system still rewards religious parties that block progress and enable abuse behind closed doors.\n\nAnd then there's Nigeria, where both Christians and Muslims push sexual morality while the country collapses under the weight of corruption. Pastors preach against premarital sex and homosexuality while buying private jets with church donations. Imams call for Sharia law while politicians from their mosques steal entire budgets. Nigeria ranks 145th in corruption - one of the worst in the world. Yet somehow, it's always the poor and powerless who get punished for \"immorality,\" while the thieves at the top walk free.\n\nAcross all these countries, the pattern is the same. The louder someone screams about sin, the more likely they're hiding something. Obsessing over sex is a smokescreen - a cheap way to control people and distract them from real crimes. These governments and religious leaders don't care about morality. They care about obedience, silence, and keeping their stolen power.\n\nThe Last Thought\n\nAt the end of the day, their obsession with sex is really an obsession with your body. They don't want you to own it. They want to dictate what you wear, who you sleep with, when, how, and why. They want to tell women what to do with their wombs. They want to make laws that punish people for loving the \"wrong\" way.\n\nAnd they always call it \"God's will.\"\n\nBut it's not about God. It's about control. It always has been.\n\nRead the whole thing? Good. Now drop a comment, follow for more unholy truths, and tell the world what you think.\n\nThis piece was written and edited with the assistance of Grammarly.", "role": "aabaa6b621e4", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"000fccb77429\", \"title\": \"Why Fundamentalists Are Obsessed With Sex\", \"subtitle\": \"They don\\u2019t care about greed, violence, or actual harm\\u200a\\u2014\\u200ajust who you sleep with and how ashamed you feel about it.\", \"author\": \"aabaa6b621e4\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-16 07:30:04\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-10-10 13:23:13\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"religion\", \"sexuality\", \"politics\", \"culture\", \"christianity\"], \"topics\": [\"equality\"], \"claps\": 225, \"voters\": 18, \"reads\": 84, \"views\": 106, \"presentations\": 805, \"word_count\": 1647, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 6.415094339622642, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@tannerthesecularist/why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"unique_slug\": \"why-fundamentalists-are-obsessed-with-sex-000fccb77429\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*TCNnXOfpDG04gKjKsdy2-Q.png\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"That's not morality. That's blaming the victim.\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/1*TCNnXOfpDG04gKjKsdy2-Q.png\"], \"anchors\": [{\"href\": \"https://medium.com/@tannerthesecularist/subscribe\", \"text\": \"here \"}]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"000fccb77429\", \"voters\": [\"c06779152208\", \"ae0eb1a7b986\", \"531df6f35d7b\", \"9aea4afed984\", \"4a2d9b6d1eac\", \"85bf88566308\", \"f18a81406407\", \"6dfa92338297\", \"e03637e750e4\", \"cae8502fe201\", \"7f314bacf4bd\", \"4126507c8b1d\", \"fdb1d61224e1\", \"520c8bed2a3d\", \"d10c28b46fd4\", \"72bc623f8878\", \"6bfd7eea1399\", \"beb67db4382f\"], \"count\": 18}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"000fccb77429\", \"responses\": [\"964ace13aed2\", \"e3b14c837f56\", \"2c6f3c6d03c3\", \"025122f0793c\"], \"count\": 4}}"}]
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{"counts": {"id": "2c6f3c6d03c3", "title": "This puts me in mind of a very neglected passage from C.S. Lewis' \"Mere Christianity\"", "subtitle": "The sins of the flesh are bad, but they are the least bad of all sins. All the worst pleasures are purely spiritual: the pleasure of\u2026", "author": "bd708b43bfce", "publication_id": "*Self-Published*", "published_at": "2025-07-16 17:47:29", "last_modified_at": "2025-07-16 17:47:29", "boosted_at": "", "tags": [], "topics": [], "claps": 15, "voters": 3, "reads": 1, "views": 6, "presentations": 0, "word_count": 130, "responses_count": 1, "reading_time": 0.49056603773584906, "url": "https://medium.com/@pellesbien/this-puts-me-in-mind-of-a-very-neglected-passage-from-c-s-lewis-mere-christianity-2c6f3c6d03c3", "unique_slug": "this-puts-me-in-mind-of-a-very-neglected-passage-from-c-s-lewis-mere-christianity-2c6f3c6d03c3", "image_url": "", "lang": "en", "is_series": false, "is_locked": false, "is_shortform": true, "top_highlight": ""}, "assets": {"other_embeds": {}}, "fans": {"id": "2c6f3c6d03c3", "voters": ["4a2d9b6d1eac", "aabaa6b621e4", "cae8502fe201"], "count": 3}, "responses": {"id": "2c6f3c6d03c3", "responses": ["8ebd9d5a50db"], "count": 1}, "user_metadata": {"user": {"id": "bd708b43bfce", "username": "pellesbien", "fullname": "Jonathan Lynn Harvey", "bio": "", "followers_count": 169, "following_count": 40, "publication_following_count": 4, "image_url": "https://miro.medium.com/v2/0*IziFfkX7hT_Xd0rX", "twitter_username": "", "is_writer_program_enrolled": true, "allow_notes": true, "medium_member_at": "2021-11-10 16:41:49", "friend_since": "", "is_suspended": false, "top_writer_in": [], "has_list": false, "is_book_author": false, "tipping_link": null, "bg_image_url": "", "logo_image_url": "", "tier": "MEMBER"}, "interests": {"id": "bd708b43bfce", "tags_followed": ["benjamin-cain", "film", "religion", "lgbtqia", "math", "spirituality", "science", "art"], "count": 8}}, "comment_metrics": {"sentiment": "slightly_positive", "stance": "strong_agree", "emotion": "realization", "content_type": "evidence", "humor": "Not Humorous", "hostility": "No Hostility"}, "all_comment_metrics": {"sentiment": ["slightly_positive", "slightly_positive", "slightly_positive"], "stance": ["strong_agree", "strong_agree", "agree"], "emotion": ["neutral", "realization", "realization"], "content_type": ["evidence", "evidence", "evidence"], "humor": ["Dry Aside", "Not Humorous", "Not Humorous"], "hostility": ["No Hostility", "No Hostility", "No Hostility"]}}
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{"demographics": {"age group": "Approximately 67 years old (born around 1955, based on being 8 in 1963 during JFK assassination and responses continuing through 2022)", "gender": "NA", "location": "United States (lived in Dallas, TX and Philadelphia suburbs; spent time in Oxford, England as a child)", "occupation": "Former private tutor and substitute teacher (worked 'as a private tutor and substitute teacher during the 2010s')", "nationality": "American (references 'my own country' when discussing America, though spent formative time in England)", "other": "Likely has Asperger's syndrome or high-functioning autism based on deep specialized knowledge and communication patterns, though not explicitly stated"}, "interests": ["American history and founding fathers, particularly Thomas Jefferson ('spent years of her life studying Jefferson' when discussing Annette Gordon-Reed)", "Political analysis of conservatism and liberalism ('Arthur Schlessinger's The Vital Center,' 'centrism was a more tenable and honorable position')", "Opera and classical music (discusses 'Carlisle Floyd's opera Susannah,' 'huge fans of the operas of Richard Wagner')", "Literature and memoirs ('Karen Armstrong's The Spiral Staircase is a marvelous memoir,' references Charles Williams, Aldous Huxley)", "Film criticism and analysis (references 'Alfie,' 'Lipstick,' 'The Great Dictator,' Ken Russell films)", "Gun violence and control ('I was 8 years old and living in Dallas, Texas on the day of the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy')", "Religious history and institutions ('8 Sad Things Nuns Face,' Salem witch trials, Christian nationalism)", "British culture and history (lived in 'Oxford, England' at age 11, discusses British politics and media)", "Shakespeare and theater ('Queen Margaret in Shakespeare's Richard III,' 'Rumpole of the Bailey')", "Science and rationality ('student of history,' discusses 'ancient Greece understood the earth was a sphere')", "Eugenics history ('Lewis Terman,' 'A. E. Van Vogt,' 'It took Naziism to make eugenics disrespectable')", "Constitutional law and Supreme Court decisions ('Garry Wills' article on why the NRA's interpretation of the 2nd amendment is so very wrong')"], "values": ["Progressive politics with skepticism of identity politics ('Arthur Schlessinger would be politically homeless today. He would loathe the Trump right, but would not at all be woke either')", "Nuanced historical analysis over presentism ('it is important to not essentialize(!!) people in those positions' regarding Thomas Jefferson)", "Strong opposition to fascism and authoritarianism ('the fascist underbelly of the American right,' 'Republican Party now openly embraces fascism')", "Support for gun control based on personal experience ('England was a country with astronomically lower levels of violence than the United States')", "Pro-choice and women's reproductive rights ('Conservatives in this country have a complete double standard with regard to men and women')", "Anti-white supremacy and racial justice ('champions of white supremacy more frequently use bad grammar and misspell words')", "Separation of church and state ('the Founding Fathers sought to avoid' Christian nationalist theocracy)", "Evidence-based reasoning over ideology ('Even folks in ancient Greece understood the earth was a sphere with gravity')", "Critique of conservative hypocrisy ('self-righteous and self-aggrandizing posturing so galling')", "Respect for due process and fairness ('Right to a fair trial and due process. Honest truth-telling. Economic fairness')", "Environmental and cultural conservation ('Conserving the environment. Conserving great classical works of art. All stuff often being done by...liberals')", "Opposition to religious extremism ('twin evils that plagued America from its founding were the theocratic intentions of the Puritans')"], "communication": ["Extensive use of personal anecdotes as evidence ('I was 8 years old and living in Dallas, Texas,' 'I lost an election for 4th grade homeroom President to...John Hinckley, Jr.')", "Frequent parenthetical asides with exclamation points for emphasis ('Unlike many others, he refused to work his slaves on Sundays and holidays(!)')", "Academic citation style with references to sources ('As Wikipedia notes,' 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_Gordon-Reed')", "Long-form detailed responses averaging 150-200 words with some exceeding 400 words on complex topics like Thomas Jefferson", "Use of rhetorical questions and dialogue ('Can you judge the past with today's eyes?')", "Employs humor and wordplay ('I don't want to have sex with Republicans, but I really do want to screw them. :)')", "Formal academic tone with phrases like 'IMO,' 'In particular,' 'I am inclined to suspect'", "Multiple examples and counterarguments ('First of all,' 'There is also the issue of,' 'However')", "Em-dashes and colons for complex sentence structures ('Both James and Sally negotiated(!!) with Jefferson conditions for returning to Virginia')", "References to obscure cultural works ('British supernatural novelist Charles Williams,' 'Carlisle Floyd's opera Susannah')", "Self-corrections and qualifications ('I may have previously posted,' 'I don't know if they can back it up')", "Comparative analysis across time periods and cultures ('the level of television coverage in England...was about the same as that of the Kennedy killing')"], "statistics": ["Response length ranges from 20 words minimum ('This is one of your finest articles') to 400+ words maximum (Thomas Jefferson defense)", "Average response length approximately 150-200 words with high variance depending on topic complexity", "Frequent use of 'IMO' (appears in multiple responses), 'In particular' (5+ instances), 'I am inclined to' (2+ instances)", "Heavy use of exclamation points in parentheses for emphasis (10+ instances across responses)", "Complex sentences with multiple subordinate clauses and em-dashes (present in majority of longer responses)", "Consistent use of Wikipedia and academic sources as citations (3+ explicit references)", "Personal pronouns 'I' used frequently to introduce anecdotes and opinions (nearly every response)", "Rhetorical devices including parallelism ('Conserving the environment. Conserving great classical works of art')", "Occasional use of emoticons in informal contexts (':)' appears once)", "Structured argumentation with numbered or sequential points ('First of all,' 'There is also,' 'Furthermore')"]}
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"How Come Some of Us Don't Know What We're Talking About?"
Begin with your deranged ranting and explain with precise reasoning why you speak mumbo-jumbo and don't realize that you do not know what you are talking about. Explain specifically why you are a member of this group.
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00167264bb6d
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3cb8abfda634
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[{"content": "How Come Some of Us Don't Know What We're Talking About?\n\nFar be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great threat.\n\nBut the truth is that as a committed liberal myself, I happen to believe that it's know-it-alls like Reich who represent a much greater threat to the basic political alignment of this country and here's the reason or the reasons why.\n\nReich has been a leading voice in the 'Trump is a Fascist' argument for the past several years despite the fact that the way Trump operates has about as much to do with the way real Fascists like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, et. al., operated as the man in the moon.\n\nNone of those guys wiped out democratic governments except by killing the liberal opposition. None of them persuaded millions to follow them except by threatening and using mass violence carried out by thousands of armed followers on a daily basis who were organized and paid by them. None of them didn't just disagree with what he courts said because they abolished the courts.\n\nWant to call Trump a right-wing asshole? Go right ahead. I do it every day. But I can do it because I don't live in a country being run by a Fascist regime or by any kind of 'authoritarian' as well.\n\nOn the other hand, not only doesn't Reich seem to understand the difference between what he refers to as the 'modern Fascism' of Donald Trump and the Fascist behavior of real Fascists both in the olden days and today, but he also shows a complete lack of knowledge about the history of this country and what that history really represents.\n\nI'm referring to Reich's spiel yesterday in which he claims that we are facing a group of ultra-right wing, ultra-rich guys like Elon Musk who want to make sure that they continue and if anything, increase what they're worth by not paying any income taxes at all.\n\nReich backs up his argument by quoting and then disagreeing with a libertarian blogger named Curtis Yarvin who promotes the idea that only the wealthiest people have both the brains and the leadership capabilities to run the country the way it should be run.\n\nWhat Reich evidently doesn't know is that Yarvin makes his argument by simply repeating things that were said in defense of the first generation of plutocrats whose control of the economy would be curtailed in - ready? - 1890 by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.\n\nThis law not only made it difficult for business leaders to operate monopolies and rig the way our economy works to benefit them and nobody else, but many provisions of that law are still in effect to this very day.\n\nDon't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everyone today has the same opportunities to make a buck like the opportunitirs afforded to billionaires like Donald Trump.\n\nWhat I am saying is that the United States is not only a country of laws, but these laws have existed and will continue to exist long after we say goodbye to a shithead like Donald Trump.\n\nWhich is why I will be out there along with everyone else for the next No Kings event, precisely because we live in a country where the legal system trumps the stupid, made-for-reality-TV performances of our current President, even if on occasions when he gets a boost from four of those seven lawyers sitting on a high bench in a courtroom in Washington, D.C.\n\nTo regain control over our legislative process and then over the Executive branch we don't need spielers like Robert Reich telling us their facockta views on what's right and what's wrong.\n\nAll we need is to keep our messaging based on the facts of the past which will help us understand what is going on in the present today.", "role": "cd29dc85831d", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"title\": \"How Come Some of Us Don\\u2019t Know What We\\u2019re Talking About?\", \"subtitle\": \"Far be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great\\u2026\", \"author\": \"cd29dc85831d\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"politics\", \"fascism\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 322, \"voters\": 13, \"reads\": 70, \"views\": 97, \"presentations\": 791, \"word_count\": 665, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 2.7094339622641512, \"url\": \"https://mikeweisser.medium.com/how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"unique_slug\": \"how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\"]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"voters\": [\"72647403eab1\", \"3c627d9b6a43\", \"fc4835c1dda0\", \"f10dcc22a675\", \"15ad7497c86d\", \"e583f538c8cc\", \"c6c2257e788d\", \"4d9e6881f0ca\", \"807c5b6858b4\", \"767b3cd68dea\", \"5aedbf36c844\", \"c9ec5c489036\", \"b6b086a880d\"], \"count\": 13}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"responses\": [\"ce34a53b7b3f\", \"02a0d8371203\", \"9d00bdc7d8d6\", \"e7eb8a8ccbe4\"], \"count\": 4}}"}]
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{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "NA", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "NA", "other": "NA"}, "interests": ["Alternative political systems and governance reform, proposing 'random selection of politicians like jury duty' and supporting 'deep democracy where people have direct effects on laws'", "Philosophy of rationality and consciousness, questioning 'how can I be forced to be right-handed, despite my rationality' and exploring the 'irrational subconsciousness that dictates most of the mind'", "Genetic determinism of political views, repeatedly citing studies showing 'political views are genetic (no thought, no reason, no choice) - set at the moment of conception'", "Scientific method applied to social systems, proposing 'proposals approved for business goal, ecological impact, economic impact, community impact' with 'small test implementation'", "Physics and space phenomena, discussing warp drive theory where 'craft would still be travelling at 100 MPH, but space would be warped'", "Evolutionary biology and cooperation, agreeing that 'survival of the fittest' is misunderstood and appreciating the 'true direction of evolution'", "Existential risks and Drake equation, noting 'everything we need to learn to solve the Drake equation is here on Earth'", "Political polarization and tribalism, analyzing why 'each side thinks the other side is crazy - it is in your genes'", "Critique of capitalism and economic systems, engaging with discussions about replacing capitalism with 'some form of communism' or scientific governance", "Supreme Court and institutional reform, proposing '50 state, planned and coordinated 7X24 protest of the Supreme Court'", "Technology's role in society, sarcastically suggesting 'all the propaganda and evil in the world stems from the use of smart phones'", "Religious and spiritual philosophy, stating 'God Does Not Exist Without You' and discussing godliness through 'heart and not through your hate'"], "values": ["Epistemological humility and uncertainty, insisting 'humans are incapable of knowing the Truth and we should teach everyone to tone all decisions with well I may be wrong'", "Critique of moral absolutism, identifying 'the foundation of all our evils' as 'the misguided belief that we are right and therefore you are wrong'", "Scientific and evidence-based thinking, proposing governance based on 'some form of scientific method, for societies' with empirical testing", "Recognition of subconscious determinism, arguing that political views are set by 'the actual DNA of your mother and father at that moment of conception'", "Anti-hubris stance, noting that solving existential problems requires 'the value of H (hubris) for the relevant species approaches zero, which leaves us way out'", "Cooperative over competitive worldview, expressing appreciation for understanding that evolution favors cooperation where 'the fittest fit together'", "Skepticism toward both political extremes, using terms 'MAGA' and 'LIBTARD' to critique polarization and asking readers to consider 'what argument would you accept to convert you'", "Concern for ecological sustainability, engaging with discussions about capitalism having 'no solution to ecocide'", "Advocacy for direct democracy and citizen participation, supporting ideas where 'people would write' legislation instead of 'oligarchs and special interests'", "Critique of certainty and righteousness, questioning why people cannot be 'torn aside from your values, faith and conscience' and whether these were consciously chosen", "Recognition of human limitations, referencing Bonhoeffer's conclusion that Hitler's followers were 'stupid - unable to follow rationality or facts'", "Spiritual pragmatism, expressing that 'God exhibits through your heart and not through your hate'"], "communication": ["Frequent use of sarcasm and dark humor, suggesting 'public suicide booths - insert a coin - die' and 'convince everyone to renounce their cell phones and the whole rotten structure will crumble'", "Literary and cultural references, adapting Lord of the Rings dialogue replacing 'ring' with 'smart phone' and referencing 'What, me worry?'", "Evidence-based argumentation with citations, regularly providing NCBI study links about genetic determinism of political views", "Rhetorical questioning technique, asking 'did you sit down at fourteen years old and tally up all that you are and analyzed your values, faith and conscience'", "Thoughtful engagement with other commenters, responding with 'Hi yes' and 'Hi Kim, thanks for replying' before presenting counterarguments", "Use of abbreviations and informal markers like 'IMO,' 'Yeah, that's right,' and ellipses for emphasis", "Mixing satirical brevity with philosophical depth, ranging from eight-word Trump impressions to 150+ word philosophical explorations", "Self-referential humor and irony, noting 'it is not like the good folks have anything to do with the evil in the world right?'", "Technical precision when discussing science, explaining warp drive physics with specific calculations like '1 real mile in front of it is actually only .0001 miles'", "Philosophical framing of contemporary issues, connecting smartphone addiction to Tolkien's ring metaphor and political divisions to genetic studies", "Direct challenge to readers' assumptions, stating 'you should be asking your 6 questions to yourself' to promote self-reflection", "Coining or using memorable phrases like 'GINWY - 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5
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Mike, I know you have a stick in your craw about Robert Reich. I don't know why, but it's obvious that you do. That's fine, but I wish you based your animus on facts.
You say,
Reich has been a leading voice in the 'Trump is a Fascist' argument for the past several years despite the fact that the way Trump operates has about as much to do with the way real Fascists like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, et. al., operated as the man in the moon.
The fact is that this administration's behavior and policies ticks most of the boxes for fascism. Ultra-nationalist? Check. Xenophobic? Check. Authoritarian? Check. Forcible suppression of opposition? Check.
I don't know how many more points of alignment you need to see.
At least you've stopped using "KIA" to denote "know-it-all."
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00167264bb6d
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5bb17d3ce183
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[{"content": "How Come Some of Us Don't Know What We're Talking About?\n\nFar be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great threat.\n\nBut the truth is that as a committed liberal myself, I happen to believe that it's know-it-alls like Reich who represent a much greater threat to the basic political alignment of this country and here's the reason or the reasons why.\n\nReich has been a leading voice in the 'Trump is a Fascist' argument for the past several years despite the fact that the way Trump operates has about as much to do with the way real Fascists like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, et. al., operated as the man in the moon.\n\nNone of those guys wiped out democratic governments except by killing the liberal opposition. None of them persuaded millions to follow them except by threatening and using mass violence carried out by thousands of armed followers on a daily basis who were organized and paid by them. None of them didn't just disagree with what he courts said because they abolished the courts.\n\nWant to call Trump a right-wing asshole? Go right ahead. I do it every day. But I can do it because I don't live in a country being run by a Fascist regime or by any kind of 'authoritarian' as well.\n\nOn the other hand, not only doesn't Reich seem to understand the difference between what he refers to as the 'modern Fascism' of Donald Trump and the Fascist behavior of real Fascists both in the olden days and today, but he also shows a complete lack of knowledge about the history of this country and what that history really represents.\n\nI'm referring to Reich's spiel yesterday in which he claims that we are facing a group of ultra-right wing, ultra-rich guys like Elon Musk who want to make sure that they continue and if anything, increase what they're worth by not paying any income taxes at all.\n\nReich backs up his argument by quoting and then disagreeing with a libertarian blogger named Curtis Yarvin who promotes the idea that only the wealthiest people have both the brains and the leadership capabilities to run the country the way it should be run.\n\nWhat Reich evidently doesn't know is that Yarvin makes his argument by simply repeating things that were said in defense of the first generation of plutocrats whose control of the economy would be curtailed in - ready? - 1890 by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.\n\nThis law not only made it difficult for business leaders to operate monopolies and rig the way our economy works to benefit them and nobody else, but many provisions of that law are still in effect to this very day.\n\nDon't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everyone today has the same opportunities to make a buck like the opportunitirs afforded to billionaires like Donald Trump.\n\nWhat I am saying is that the United States is not only a country of laws, but these laws have existed and will continue to exist long after we say goodbye to a shithead like Donald Trump.\n\nWhich is why I will be out there along with everyone else for the next No Kings event, precisely because we live in a country where the legal system trumps the stupid, made-for-reality-TV performances of our current President, even if on occasions when he gets a boost from four of those seven lawyers sitting on a high bench in a courtroom in Washington, D.C.\n\nTo regain control over our legislative process and then over the Executive branch we don't need spielers like Robert Reich telling us their facockta views on what's right and what's wrong.\n\nAll we need is to keep our messaging based on the facts of the past which will help us understand what is going on in the present today.", "role": "cd29dc85831d", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"title\": \"How Come Some of Us Don\\u2019t Know What We\\u2019re Talking About?\", \"subtitle\": \"Far be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great\\u2026\", \"author\": \"cd29dc85831d\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"politics\", \"fascism\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 322, \"voters\": 13, \"reads\": 70, \"views\": 97, \"presentations\": 791, \"word_count\": 665, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 2.7094339622641512, \"url\": \"https://mikeweisser.medium.com/how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"unique_slug\": \"how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\"]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"voters\": [\"72647403eab1\", \"3c627d9b6a43\", \"fc4835c1dda0\", \"f10dcc22a675\", \"15ad7497c86d\", \"e583f538c8cc\", \"c6c2257e788d\", \"4d9e6881f0ca\", \"807c5b6858b4\", \"767b3cd68dea\", \"5aedbf36c844\", \"c9ec5c489036\", \"b6b086a880d\"], \"count\": 13}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"responses\": [\"ce34a53b7b3f\", \"02a0d8371203\", \"9d00bdc7d8d6\", \"e7eb8a8ccbe4\"], \"count\": 4}}"}]
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{"demographics": {"age group": "55-65 years old (based on father graduating Naval Academy in 1941, user's own Navy service after Ivy League education, suggesting birth in 1960s-1970s)", "gender": "NA", "location": "NA", "occupation": "Former U.S. Navy officer (served 8 years), Ivy League educated, current occupation not specified", "nationality": "American (U.S. Naval Academy scholarship recipient, Navy veteran)", "other": "Father was Naval Academy graduate (class of 1941) and naval officer with command at sea; describes self as 'avid crossword puzzler'"}, "interests": ["U.S. political discourse and Trump-era politics, engaging extensively with articles about Trump, elections, and political figures", "Fact-checking and correcting misinformation, as seen in corrections about Hunter Biden laptop, Tucker Carlson's salary ($25M not $6M), and San Francisco crime statistics", "Military affairs and defense of military service, stating 'Many very smart people serve in the military' and defending intellectual merit of service members", "Electoral politics and voting statistics, calculating that Trump's '74 million represent 31% of all people eligible to vote, or 22% of the population'", "Public health policy, particularly COVID-19 response, critiquing Trump's dismissal of pandemic task force and mask mandates", "Constitutional law and Supreme Court decisions, discussing Roe v. Wade and judicial appointments in detail", "Media literacy and writing quality, providing technical advice like 'holding down Shift while you hit Return twice' for paragraph breaks", "Language precision and grammar, correcting 'homophone' to 'homophobe,' 'internment' to 'interment,' and distinguishing HIV from AIDS", "Crossword puzzles and obscure vocabulary, noting 'We avid crossword puzzlers have known that word forever. Also, adit, ait and ria'", "Crime statistics and urban policy, citing FBI data to refute claims about San Francisco crime rates", "Technical accuracy in terminology, correcting 'Military Code of Justice' to 'Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)'", "Social media platform dynamics and impersonation issues, alerting an author about someone impersonating them on WhatsApp"], "values": ["Strong opposition to Trump and MAGA ideology, stating 'I cannot maintain a friendship with someone whose values are so antithetical to mine' regarding Trump supporters", "Commitment to factual accuracy over political convenience, consistently providing citations and corrections with sources like FBI data", "Progressive political values including support for reproductive rights, criticizing Supreme Court justices who 'lied in their confirmation hearings' about Roe v. Wade", "Belief in expertise and education as valuable, defending that military service attracts intelligent people and citing own Ivy League education", "Intolerance for conspiracy theories and misinformation, challenging claims about Hunter Biden's laptop and election fraud", "Respect for institutional norms and democratic processes, expressing concern about 'a very rough four years' under Trump's second term", "Evidence-based reasoning over partisan rhetoric, stating 'You are mischaracterizing what the New York Times said' with detailed explanation", "Unwillingness to compromise on core values for social harmony, rejecting the 'noble, high-minded thinking' of maintaining friendships across political divides", "Support for public health measures and scientific expertise, defending mask mandates and criticizing dismissal of pandemic preparedness", "Concern about hate crimes and xenophobia, noting 'hate crimes increased during his tenure' when Trump demonized immigrants", "Appreciation for precision in communication, frequently correcting terminology and word usage for accuracy", "Belief that government can be effective when properly managed, rejecting 'Reaganesque position that government is always the problem'"], "communication": ["Polite but firm correction style, often beginning with 'with all due respect' or 'I must take issue with' before disagreeing", "Evidence-based argumentation with citations, providing links to sources like FBI crime statistics and specific data points", "Attention to grammatical and technical precision, correcting errors like 'homophone' to 'homophobe' and 'internment' to 'interment'", "Use of quotation marks to isolate specific claims being addressed, such as 'SF is now one of the worst crime cities in the country'", "Varied response length from brief corrections ('The image of the tweet does not show up') to detailed rebuttals of 200+ words", "Acknowledgment before disagreement, writing 'While I agree with the gist of your essay, I have to take issue with' or 'I normally feel as though you and I are mostly on the same page'", "Helpful technical guidance, explaining 'You can insert white space between paragraphs... by holding down Shift while you hit Return twice'", "Self-deprecating humor, describing 'My fingers were itching to write a scathing rebuke but realized where you were going'", "Direct challenge of logical fallacies, stating 'Really? How about appointing Supreme Court Judges' when confronting dismissive claims", "Precise terminology corrections with explanations, noting 'The correct term is Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)' while acknowledging 'it's a small nit'", "Statistical analysis and calculation, breaking down voting percentages and demographic representations", "Meta-commentary on communication, describing checking 'with 3 different browsers on my laptop and the Medium app on my phone' to verify technical issues"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 60-80 words, with range from 10-word corrections to 300-word detailed rebuttals", "Frequently uses phrases like 'with all due respect,' 'I must disagree,' 'Really?', and 'Come on now' to signal disagreement", "Common pattern of quoting specific claims in quotation marks before providing corrections or counterarguments", "Uses numerical data and statistics in approximately 40% of responses, citing specific figures like '74 million votes out of 159 million'", "Employs rhetorical questions frequently ('Isn't that the point?', 'Really?', 'How about...?') to challenge assertions", "Minimum response length around 8-10 words for simple corrections, maximum around 300 words for comprehensive rebuttals", "Sentence structure varies from short declarative statements to complex compound sentences with multiple clauses", "Frequently provides external links and citations (FBI data, news sources) to support factual claims", "Uses em-dashes and parenthetical asides regularly to add clarifying information or commentary"]}
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I recently read _The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich_, which was published in 1960. Germany and its leader in the 1930's sounded almost exactly like what I was seeing in the US now. I was not able to follow your thinking in your article. Is there some other source you would recommend that explains your point more simply?
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00167264bb6d
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929a366ebaca
| 1,753,461,441
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[{"content": "How Come Some of Us Don't Know What We're Talking About?\n\nFar be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great threat.\n\nBut the truth is that as a committed liberal myself, I happen to believe that it's know-it-alls like Reich who represent a much greater threat to the basic political alignment of this country and here's the reason or the reasons why.\n\nReich has been a leading voice in the 'Trump is a Fascist' argument for the past several years despite the fact that the way Trump operates has about as much to do with the way real Fascists like Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Pinochet, et. al., operated as the man in the moon.\n\nNone of those guys wiped out democratic governments except by killing the liberal opposition. None of them persuaded millions to follow them except by threatening and using mass violence carried out by thousands of armed followers on a daily basis who were organized and paid by them. None of them didn't just disagree with what he courts said because they abolished the courts.\n\nWant to call Trump a right-wing asshole? Go right ahead. I do it every day. But I can do it because I don't live in a country being run by a Fascist regime or by any kind of 'authoritarian' as well.\n\nOn the other hand, not only doesn't Reich seem to understand the difference between what he refers to as the 'modern Fascism' of Donald Trump and the Fascist behavior of real Fascists both in the olden days and today, but he also shows a complete lack of knowledge about the history of this country and what that history really represents.\n\nI'm referring to Reich's spiel yesterday in which he claims that we are facing a group of ultra-right wing, ultra-rich guys like Elon Musk who want to make sure that they continue and if anything, increase what they're worth by not paying any income taxes at all.\n\nReich backs up his argument by quoting and then disagreeing with a libertarian blogger named Curtis Yarvin who promotes the idea that only the wealthiest people have both the brains and the leadership capabilities to run the country the way it should be run.\n\nWhat Reich evidently doesn't know is that Yarvin makes his argument by simply repeating things that were said in defense of the first generation of plutocrats whose control of the economy would be curtailed in - ready? - 1890 by the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.\n\nThis law not only made it difficult for business leaders to operate monopolies and rig the way our economy works to benefit them and nobody else, but many provisions of that law are still in effect to this very day.\n\nDon't get me wrong. I'm not saying that everyone today has the same opportunities to make a buck like the opportunitirs afforded to billionaires like Donald Trump.\n\nWhat I am saying is that the United States is not only a country of laws, but these laws have existed and will continue to exist long after we say goodbye to a shithead like Donald Trump.\n\nWhich is why I will be out there along with everyone else for the next No Kings event, precisely because we live in a country where the legal system trumps the stupid, made-for-reality-TV performances of our current President, even if on occasions when he gets a boost from four of those seven lawyers sitting on a high bench in a courtroom in Washington, D.C.\n\nTo regain control over our legislative process and then over the Executive branch we don't need spielers like Robert Reich telling us their facockta views on what's right and what's wrong.\n\nAll we need is to keep our messaging based on the facts of the past which will help us understand what is going on in the present today.", "role": "cd29dc85831d", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"title\": \"How Come Some of Us Don\\u2019t Know What We\\u2019re Talking About?\", \"subtitle\": \"Far be it from me to disparage the work of a committed liberal like Robert Reich when we all know that Donald Trump represents such great\\u2026\", \"author\": \"cd29dc85831d\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-07-11 14:56:36\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"politics\", \"fascism\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 322, \"voters\": 13, \"reads\": 70, \"views\": 97, \"presentations\": 791, \"word_count\": 665, \"responses_count\": 4, \"reading_time\": 2.7094339622641512, \"url\": \"https://mikeweisser.medium.com/how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"unique_slug\": \"how-come-some-of-us-dont-know-what-we-re-talking-about-00167264bb6d\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": true, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/1*pV_ERdPYwop2bEhsojIHfQ.jpeg\"]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"voters\": [\"72647403eab1\", \"3c627d9b6a43\", \"fc4835c1dda0\", \"f10dcc22a675\", \"15ad7497c86d\", \"e583f538c8cc\", \"c6c2257e788d\", \"4d9e6881f0ca\", \"807c5b6858b4\", \"767b3cd68dea\", \"5aedbf36c844\", \"c9ec5c489036\", \"b6b086a880d\"], \"count\": 13}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"00167264bb6d\", \"responses\": [\"ce34a53b7b3f\", \"02a0d8371203\", \"9d00bdc7d8d6\", \"e7eb8a8ccbe4\"], \"count\": 4}}"}]
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{"demographics": {"age group": "approximately 70 years old (stated '67' in 2022, last response in 2025)", "gender": "male (self-identifies as 'old white guy')", "location": "United States (states 'I've always lived in the US')", "occupation": "retired (mentions 'using my retirement to re-study the history')", "nationality": "American", "other": "married (references 'my wife and I'), white, formerly part of conservative Christianity for decades before leaving 8 years ago"}, "interests": ["Christianity and theology, particularly evangelical Christianity and its political implications ('I was part of the pro-life movement for decades')", "Biblical interpretation and church history, including knowledge of Calvin, Zwingli, and specific scripture passages", "American politics and the Trump administration ('left conservative Christianity 8 years ago to get away from Trump supporters')", "Historical revisionism and truth-telling in education ('I was really, really lied to about a lot of things' in school)", "The intersection of religion and politics, especially Christian nationalism and authoritarianism", "World War II history and Nazism ('I just finished reading The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich')", "Media literacy and misinformation detection ('I thought I was pretty good at detecting...when a video is by what I call a \"crazy person\"')", "International news and global perspectives on US politics ('I regularly read certain foreign news sites')", "Democratic norms and the erosion of American influence globally", "Abortion rights and the pro-life movement's understanding of Roe v Wade", "Antisemitism and religious persecution throughout history", "Critical analysis of logical fallacies and rhetorical techniques ('I'm getting better at identifying trolling')"], "values": ["Honesty and transparency over ideological consistency ('It's the dishonesty, rather than the racism itself, that I can't stomach')", "Critical thinking and questioning authority, especially religious authority ('Christians who follow Trump are following him the way their pastors have taught them')", "Opposition to Trump and concern about authoritarianism ('convinced the world that they can no longer trust us')", "Rejection of evangelical Christianity's political involvement while maintaining some Christian identity ('we Christians might have to set aside some aspects of evangelicalism')", "Concern about historical accuracy and educational honesty ('I just wish my teachers had been more honest with me')", "Anti-racism and opposition to white supremacy, though prioritizes condemning dishonesty about racism", "Support for democratic values and concern about America's global reputation", "Intellectual curiosity and willingness to change views based on evidence (left pro-life movement and conservative Christianity)", "Appreciation for nuance and precision in language ('common misuse of the term \"cognitive dissonance\"')", "Skepticism toward rigid ideology and preference for weighing pros and cons", "Concern about Christian complicity in violence and persecution throughout history", "Value for accountability and direct answers to questions ('you didn't actually answer the question')"], "communication": ["Draws extensively on personal experience to support arguments ('Throughout my entire life (I'm 67) I never heard a single person say...')", "Uses specific historical and biblical references to demonstrate knowledge and credibility", "Employs measured, thoughtful tone even when expressing strong disagreement", "Points out logical inconsistencies and rhetorical problems in others' arguments ('you open by opposing...Then you end by stating how you yourself would \"instruct\"')", "Frequently acknowledges others' perspectives before offering critique or correction", "Uses brief, impactful statements for emphasis ('You continue to amaze me')", "Incorporates humor and irony, particularly when identifying contradictions ('I get it; you're being intentionally humorous')", "Provides detailed context and background when explaining complex positions", "Uses italics for emphasis on key words and concepts", "Balances personal narrative with analytical observation", "Expresses gratitude and appreciation when learning something new ('Thank you for writing this')", "Willing to admit uncertainty or ongoing search for answers ('I'm still looking')"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 80-100 words, with significant variation from 10-word brief responses to 150+ word detailed explanations", "Minimum response length: 7 words ('You continue to amaze me')", "Maximum response length: approximately 180 words (response about US history and racism)", "Frequently uses first-person narrative and personal anecdotes ('I was part of', 'I just finished reading', 'I agree')", "Common phrases include 'I just finished reading', 'Thank you for', 'I agree', 'I was part of', references to specific time periods ('8 years ago', 'decades')", "Uses complex sentence structures with multiple clauses and parenthetical asides", "Employs rhetorical questions for effect ('How could any pastor feel good about saying that?')", "Frequently cites specific sources, books, biblical passages, and historical figures", "Uses quotation marks extensively to reference others' words or highlight ironic usage", "Demonstrates sophisticated vocabulary including terms like 'cognitive dissonance', 'heresy', 'antisemitism', 'authoritarianism'"]}
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7
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Thank you, Ash, for this beautifully written and inspiring piece. I think a strong majority of Americans can (and hopefully will) rally around these ideas. We need to stay united and fearless and undeterred!
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001695aa4e7c
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73b5534e4370
| 1,751,635,322
|
[{"content": "A New Declaration; 2025 Edition\n\nWhen Independence Day is more like Hypocrisy Day, it's time for something new\n\nWhen in the course of human history, a nation built on broken promises devours itself from the inside out, its people have no choice but to rise. Not out of hatred for their country, but out of aching, desperate love for what it could have been, and still might be, if we dare to fight for it.\n\nToday is July 4th. Independence Day. For some, a day of fireworks and parades. For me, it is a day of ghosts. The ghosts of women who died with their dreams still caged. Of children ripped from their families by men who spoke of freedom but built their wealth on stolen bodies. Of generations who cried out for justice and were met with the barrel of a gun, or the cold indifference of those in power.\n\nI write this not to celebrate, but to mourn. To rage. And to demand what was promised but never truly given.\n\nIn 1776, a handful of privileged white men declared their refusal to be ruled by tyranny. They spoke of freedom as if it were a gift they alone could claim. They wrote lofty words: that all men are created equal, that life and liberty are rights no government should deny.\n\nThey meant some men. They meant some lives.\n\nAnd yet, in their contradictions, they planted seeds of something greater. Seeds they could not, or would not, nurture. Seeds that would wait for future generations to water them with tears, sweat, and blood.\n\nThe Declaration of Independence was a desperate cry for dignity. For self-determination. For the right to break free from a power that used them, ignored them, and silenced their pleas. For freedom.\n\nIt stood against:\n\nTyranny without accountability.\n\nExploitation without representation.\n\nMilitarized oppression of dissent.\n\nLaws passed without the people's consent.\n\nLeaders who placed their greed above the welfare of the people.\n\nIt was, at its heart, about consent, justice, and the sacred right to revolt against corrupt power.\n\nBut now, now the tyranny wears red, white, and blue. Now the kings sit in the Supreme Court and the Capitol. Now our oppression comes not from across an ocean, but from across the aisle, from pulpits turned into political platforms, from judges whose robes are soaked in the tears of the suffering.\n\nLook around:\n\nA Supreme Court dismantling bodily autonomy, environmental protections, and workers' rights.\n\nVoter suppression targeting Black, Indigenous, poor, disabled, and queer communities.\n\nChristian nationalism twisting faith into a weapon.\n\nPolice forces that treat protest as a crime, and silence as complicity.\n\nBillionaires buying power while families ration insulin and skip meals.\n\nFamilies being ripped apart for the illusion of protection from an enemy that doesn't exist.\n\nTrans and queer people hunted through laws, erased from classrooms, and beaten in the streets.\n\nBooks banned. Histories erased. Truth criminalized.\n\nThis is not liberty. This is the very tyranny they once fought to escape.\n\nThe men of 1776 fought against taxation without representation, yet today we are exploited by corporations that drain our labor and give nothing in return. They demanded justice from their courts, yet we face a judiciary designed to crush the vulnerable and protect the rich. They claimed the right to self-govern, yet our voices are drowned out by dark money, gerrymandering, and an electoral system rigged against the many in favor of the few.\n\nBut hear me now: we are still here. We are still rising. And this time, our fight is for all who were left behind in 1776.\n\nWe rise for the enslaved ancestors whose cries built this nation. We rise for the women forced to bear children in chains, and those forced to give birth today in chains of legislation. We rise for Indigenous peoples whose lands were stolen and cultures nearly erased. We rise for the queer and trans youth told their lives are sins. We rise for the disabled, the poor, the fat, the outcast; for all whose existence was never protected by those hallowed words.\n\nAnd so, on this day of mourning and reckoning, I invite you to stand beside me. To carry this grief, this rage, and this love forward. To refuse to celebrate a freedom that was never truly ours, but to fight like hell to make it so.\n\nBecause independence is not a relic. It is a promise we have yet to keep.\n\nThe Declaration of Independence, 2025\n\nWhen in the course of human history it becomes clear that a government no longer serves the people but seeks to control, exploit, and erase them, it is not only the right, it is the moral duty, of the people to rise and reclaim their freedom.\n\nWe hold these truths to be self-evident: That all people, of every race, gender, size, ability, body, and identity, are created equal. That every person is endowed with the unalienable rights of life, liberty, bodily autonomy, safety, justice, and the pursuit of joy. That governments exist solely to protect these rights, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.\n\nWhenever a government becomes destructive of these ends, when it strips people of their bodily autonomy, silences their voices, criminalizes their existence, and protects wealth and power at the expense of life, it is the right and responsibility of the people to resist, to refuse compliance, and to build something better.\n\nLet these grievances be known:\n\nThey have denied women, trans, and nonbinary people the right to control their own bodies.\n\nThey have suppressed the votes of Black, Indigenous, disabled, and poor communities to maintain power.\n\nThey have weaponized religion to justify discrimination and violence.\n\nThey have poisoned the earth, water, and air in pursuit of profit.\n\nThey have allowed corporations to hoard wealth while children go hungry.\n\nThey have erased the histories and voices of marginalized people.\n\nThey have criminalized protest and punished dissent.\n\nThey have turned the courts into tools of oppression rather than justice.\n\nThey have silenced truth and spread propaganda.\n\nWe therefore declare our independence from their corruption, their violence, and their lies.\n\nWe declare our commitment to a nation where freedom means safety and dignity for all bodies, all genders, all races, all abilities.\n\nWe pledge to fight for a world where justice is not reserved for the powerful, but guaranteed for the vulnerable.\n\nAnd to this struggle, we commit our voices, our bodies, and our hearts, not out of hatred, but out of unbreakable love for all who have suffered too long.\n\nThis is our call. This is our stand. This is our Independence.\n\nJuly 4, 2025.", "role": "98e6feeaea5f", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"001695aa4e7c\", \"title\": \"A New Declaration; 2025 Edition\", \"subtitle\": \"When Independence Day is more like Hypocrisy Day, it\\u2019s time for something new\", \"author\": \"98e6feeaea5f\", \"publication_id\": \"61433783a0e5\", \"published_at\": \"2025-07-04 08:13:09\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2025-07-04 12:00:36\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"history\", \"politics\", \"humanity\", \"government\", \"human-rights\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\", \"equality\"], \"claps\": 108, \"voters\": 3, \"reads\": 9, \"views\": 20, \"presentations\": 128, \"word_count\": 1108, \"responses_count\": 2, \"reading_time\": 4.381132075471698, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/soulfight/a-new-declaration-2025-edition-001695aa4e7c\", \"unique_slug\": \"a-new-declaration-2025-edition-001695aa4e7c\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/1*H5vsZsLCt-9tROBGEM31AA.png\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": false, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/1*H5vsZsLCt-9tROBGEM31AA.png\"]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"001695aa4e7c\", \"voters\": [\"f0878e987eff\", \"73b5534e4370\", \"ff7798eed153\"], \"count\": 3}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"001695aa4e7c\", \"responses\": [\"1ecf191498ca\", \"a5228f2d4e82\"], \"count\": 2}}"}]
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{"counts": {"id": "1ecf191498ca", "title": "Thank you, Ash, for this beautifully written and inspiring piece.", "subtitle": "", "author": "73b5534e4370", "publication_id": "*Self-Published*", "published_at": "2025-07-04 13:22:02", "last_modified_at": "2025-07-04 13:22:02", "boosted_at": "", "tags": [], "topics": [], "claps": 15, "voters": 1, "reads": 0, "views": 0, "presentations": 0, "word_count": 34, "responses_count": 0, "reading_time": 0.12830188679245283, "url": "https://medium.com/@ray.wirth/thank-you-ash-for-this-beautifully-written-and-inspiring-piece-1ecf191498ca", "unique_slug": "thank-you-ash-for-this-beautifully-written-and-inspiring-piece-1ecf191498ca", "image_url": "", "lang": "en", "is_series": false, "is_locked": false, "is_shortform": true, "top_highlight": ""}, "assets": {"other_embeds": {}}, "fans": {"id": "1ecf191498ca", "voters": ["98e6feeaea5f"], "count": 1}, "responses": {"id": "1ecf191498ca", "responses": [], "count": 0}, "user_metadata": {"user": {"id": "73b5534e4370", "username": "ray.wirth", "fullname": "Ray Wirth", "bio": "Writer, editor, critical thinker. Good things happen when we all remember beliefs are less important than people. Join our fight: https://medium.com/soulfight", "followers_count": 189, "following_count": 194, "publication_following_count": 7, "image_url": "https://miro.medium.com/v2/1*OAjVfWsk-HlM4RsrDrve1A.png", "twitter_username": "", "is_writer_program_enrolled": true, "allow_notes": true, "medium_member_at": "2024-11-21 14:39:51", "friend_since": "", "is_suspended": false, "top_writer_in": [], "has_list": true, "is_book_author": false, "tipping_link": null, "bg_image_url": "", "logo_image_url": "", "tier": "MEMBER"}, "interests": {"id": "73b5534e4370", "tags_followed": ["equality", "culture", "politics"], "count": 3}}, "comment_metrics": {"sentiment": "strongly_positive", "stance": "strong_agree", "emotion": "gratitude", "content_type": "directive", "humor": "Not Humorous", "hostility": "No Hostility"}, "all_comment_metrics": {"sentiment": ["strongly_positive", "strongly_positive", "strongly_positive"], "stance": ["strong_agree", "strong_agree", "strong_agree"], "emotion": ["gratitude", "gratitude", "gratitude"], "content_type": ["meta-commentary", "directive", "directive"], "humor": ["Not Humorous", "Not Humorous", "Not Humorous"], "hostility": ["No Hostility", "No Hostility", "No Hostility"]}}
| 1
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{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "NA", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "NA", "other": "NA"}, "interests": ["Political analysis and criticism of Donald Trump, evidenced by extensive responses about Trump being 'an enemy of democracy, of decency, and of morality'", "Environmental issues and climate change, citing 'Mother Nature strongly disagrees' with link to Trump's environmental rollbacks", "Spiritual health and philosophy, writing articles like 'It's the Spiritual Poverty, Stupid' and discussing 'spiritual emptiness'", "Democratic institutions and civic engagement, discussing how 'We keep our democracy only if we keep doing what needs to be done'", "Nature and environmental philosophy, writing 'The Politics of Earth' and noting 'Nature has way more wisdom than we do'", "Media criticism and misinformation, mentioning people 'brainwashed by Joe Rogan or Fox News'", "Political communication and rhetoric, stating '95 percent of a politician's job is to talk' and expecting truthfulness", "Social psychology and collective behavior, analyzing why people are attracted to Trump and discussing 'unhappiness and spiritual emptiness'", "Mental health crisis in America, noting suicide rate increases 'especially among young people'", "American political culture and tribalism, lamenting politics becoming 'a blood sport' rather than building better society", "Economic and social systems analysis, calling an article about failing political systems 'Devastating, but it rings of truth'", "Bullying and power dynamics in politics, discussing how 'owning the libs' represents 'mass bullying'"], "values": ["Strong opposition to Trump, calling him 'as blatantly self-serving as it is possible to be' and criticizing his environmental policies", "Commitment to truthfulness in political discourse, stating politicians should 'at least be good at it -- and truthful'", "Environmental protection and climate action, linking to Trump's environmental rollbacks and opposing climate change denial", "Belief in collective action and interconnectedness, noting 'it helps if we can see ourselves as part of something larger and more powerful'", "Critique of materialism and consumerism, agreeing that 'American ideas and ideology that promotes competition, materialism, consumerism and individualism' causes spiritual poverty", "Concern for mental and spiritual health of society, asking 'The mental and spiritual health of Americans is a crisis How do we extract ourselves from this cycle?'", "Preference for civic engagement over partisan tribalism, criticizing politics becoming 'a game of one-upmanship rather than a way to build a better society'", "Belief that spiritual health underlies good citizenship, arguing 'A person with a modicum of spiritual health' wouldn't 'blow up democracy' over egg prices", "Opposition to cruelty and bullying in politics, discussing how 'When people are hurting, the most primal and backward way to respond is to lash out'", "Valuing democracy and democratic norms, expressing concern about threats to democratic institutions", "Skepticism toward performative politics, criticizing 'politics today isn't about governance\u2014it's about performance'", "Belief in personal responsibility and self-reflection, discussing how 'It's hard to come to terms with unhappiness and take responsibility for it'"], "communication": ["Measured and thoughtful tone even when expressing strong criticism, as in 'Maybe our views of the Trump electorate are less far apart than you think'", "Frequent use of rhetorical questions to engage readers, such as 'How do we extract ourselves from this cycle?'", "Employment of metaphors and analogies, particularly nature-based ones like 'Sometimes a compass works better than a GPS!'", "Concise responses typically 1-3 sentences, though capable of longer analytical paragraphs when discussing complex topics", "Evidence-based argumentation with citations, linking to sources like Wikipedia article on Trump's false statements", "Respectful engagement with commenters, frequently thanking them: 'Thanks very much, Bridget' and 'Thank you for reading and responding, Dave'", "Use of informal punctuation for emphasis including exclamation points ('Here! Here!') and ellipses ('Hmmm ...')", "Acknowledgment of complexity and nuance, stating 'Maybe I'm missing something' when critiquing articles", "Self-reflective about writing process, noting 'Maybe my next piece is getting started right here ... ;-)'", "Conversational asides and humor mixed with serious analysis, using phrases like 'I guess' and emoticons", "Agreement markers before adding analysis, often beginning with 'Yes,' 'Good point,' or 'Well said!'", "Direct and unambiguous language when expressing strong views, calling Trump 'the ultimate scam artist'"], "statistics": ["Response length varies from 7 words ('Lots of truth to this!') to approximately 150 words in detailed analytical responses", "Average response length approximately 30-50 words, with most responses being 2-4 sentences", "Frequently uses agreement phrases: 'Thank you,' 'Yes,' 'Good point,' 'Well said,' 'Lots of truth to this'", "Common substantive words include 'Trump,' 'spiritual,' 'people,' 'politics,' 'democracy,' 'unhappiness'", "Heavy use of exclamation points for emphasis, appearing in approximately 60% of responses", "Regular employment of em-dashes and ellipses for pacing and emphasis", "Sentence structure varies from simple declaratives ('Sad but true') to complex compound sentences with multiple clauses", "Often begins responses with acknowledgment or agreement before adding original analysis or perspective", "Uses questions in approximately 30% of responses to prompt reflection or discussion"]}
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8
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America died
I am at the funeral now
Lady Liberty is crying
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001828eb43b8
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dab0112f9578
| 1,750,861,980
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[{"content": "America Faces Tough Choices\n\nA man who is facing a sentence and a man who can't complete a sentence.\n\nWhen Joe Biden was elected president, I thought he had signed his own death certificate. I honestly thought that he would be suicided out in his first year in office.\n\nThat did not happen, and then I watched as pretty much everyone made fun of his ineptness. I made fun, too.\n\nThen I became sad for him. Making fun of him became as much sport as making fun of a three-legged dog or a mentally handicapped person. Not much sport in that.\n\nSurely, his handlers would see that he did not become an embarrassment to himself and his family. That was Hunter's job, after all. But they didn't\n\nAfter shitting himself on the international stage, they allowed him to enter a debate. The only good point is that it was on CNN, so not many people saw him crumble into an elderly heap.\n\nThen you have Donald Trump. Here is a guy who started on third base and thinks he has hit a triple.\n\nHis father left him a lot of money, and to his credit, he turned it into many tons of money. Many people in the US of A could have done that.\n\nThe first time through with Donald, the GOP was as stunned and as ill-prepared for him to win an election as I was. They had the opportunity to correct course after eight years of Obama, whose only claim to fame was that he was black by convenience.\n\nThe GOP could only step on their dicks while Donald did what he did to make America great again.\n\nWith these two guys as our only choices, America will not ever be great again.\n\nIf the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.", "role": "f04ec5a541a3", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"title\": \"America Faces Tough Choices\", \"subtitle\": \"A man who is facing a sentence and a man who can\\u2019t complete a sentence.\", \"author\": \"f04ec5a541a3\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"biden\", \"politics\", \"writing\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 170, \"voters\": 7, \"reads\": 5, \"views\": 22, \"presentations\": null, \"word_count\": 306, \"responses_count\": 5, \"reading_time\": 1.3547169811320754, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@bobnaquin/america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"unique_slug\": \"america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": false, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"If the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\"], \"anchors\": [{\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com/@claybanks?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Clay Banks\"}, {\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Unsplash\"}]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"voters\": [\"d2a641878400\", \"13e1450272bf\", \"1f8236f23dfc\", \"da9c613e0faa\", \"8e6aa7ace571\", \"dab0112f9578\", \"348a1f45f26c\", \"a11d766c5844\"], \"count\": 8}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"responses\": [\"3a782622a297\", \"e21d697d8ffe\", \"235bfa6bde23\", \"0c9bd2df50d9\", \"59b47d118414\"], \"count\": 5}}"}]
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| 1
|
{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "Oklahoma, USA (with plans to move to Mexico); grew up in Italy", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "NA (Italian childhood background, currently US-based)", "other": "Buddhist practitioner; practices samurai arts; has traveled internationally; fought racism in Oklahoma"}, "interests": ["Anti-Trump political commentary and resistance to fascism", "Social justice issues, particularly anti-racism and anti-Blackness", "Religious institutions and their decline, especially Christianity and mega churches", "Buddhism and Eastern spiritual practices", "Martial arts, specifically samurai traditions and Japanese warrior culture", "Cross-cultural religious symbolism (references Kali, Black Madonna, Sun Goddess)", "International politics and America's global reputation", "Historical figures like Yasuke the African samurai and the Oklahoma Black Bishop", "Democracy and capitalism critique", "Government competency and political leadership quality"], "values": ["Strongly anti-Trump, calling him 'an Orange undead Monkey from the Planet of the Apes. A Moron'", "Believes 'America is dying' and 'democracy is dying' under current political conditions", "Critical of capitalism, stating 'Capitalism is a lie' and 'We are returning to slavery'", "Anti-racism activist who 'fought the racism in Oklahoma' and supports others fighting 'the good fight'", "Spiritual but critical of institutional religion: 'God is real. Church is dead'", "Values international perspectives, noting foreigners say 'America is not a dream but now a nightmare'", "Supportive of social justice writers, frequently offering encouragement like 'Power to you'", "Believes 'Christianity is dying because of the fake church leaders'", "Pessimistic about American democracy, stating Trump 'will probably win again by losing the popular vote'", "Draws inspiration from warrior figures who fought oppression across cultures", "Critical of Christian nationalism and religious hypocrisy", "Values honesty and directness in political discourse"], "communication": ["Highly variable response length, from single words ('YES,' 'WOW,' 'FUNNY') to 150+ word narratives", "Extensive emoji usage with repetitive patterns like '\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f' and '\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90'", "Frequent expressions of gratitude and support: 'Thank you for writing this!' and 'Power to you'", "Uses all-caps for emphasis: 'YES,' 'WOW,' 'ROCK,' 'FUNNY'", "Personal storytelling style, sharing anecdotes about 'the Oklahoma Black Bishop' and growing up in Italy", "Encouraging and affirming tone with phrases like 'Keep writing. Fighting the good fight'", "Signs some responses with 'DOC' or personal touches like 'Hugs and happiness to you'", "Mixes brief affirmations with occasional detailed personal narratives", "Uses checkmark emojis (\u2705) to emphasize positive statements", "Combines spiritual/religious imagery with political commentary", "Direct and blunt when criticizing political figures"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 15-20 words, with range from 1 word to 150+ words", "Most frequent words: 'Thank you' (appears 7+ times), 'YES' (3 times), 'Power to you' (3 times)", "Emoji usage in 90%+ of responses, often 10-50+ emojis per response", "Short responses (1-5 words) comprise about 40% of all responses", "Medium responses (10-30 words) comprise about 40% of responses", "Long narrative responses (100+ words) comprise about 10% of responses", "Frequent use of prayer hands \ud83d\ude4f, hearts \u2764\ufe0f, checkmarks \u2705, and flower \ud83d\udc90 emojis", "Sentence structure varies from single-word exclamations to complex multi-sentence paragraphs with cultural references"]}
|
9
|
YEP
They are all dicks
TRUE
|
001828eb43b8
|
dab0112f9578
| 1,750,862,013
|
[{"content": "America Faces Tough Choices\n\nA man who is facing a sentence and a man who can't complete a sentence.\n\nWhen Joe Biden was elected president, I thought he had signed his own death certificate. I honestly thought that he would be suicided out in his first year in office.\n\nThat did not happen, and then I watched as pretty much everyone made fun of his ineptness. I made fun, too.\n\nThen I became sad for him. Making fun of him became as much sport as making fun of a three-legged dog or a mentally handicapped person. Not much sport in that.\n\nSurely, his handlers would see that he did not become an embarrassment to himself and his family. That was Hunter's job, after all. But they didn't\n\nAfter shitting himself on the international stage, they allowed him to enter a debate. The only good point is that it was on CNN, so not many people saw him crumble into an elderly heap.\n\nThen you have Donald Trump. Here is a guy who started on third base and thinks he has hit a triple.\n\nHis father left him a lot of money, and to his credit, he turned it into many tons of money. Many people in the US of A could have done that.\n\nThe first time through with Donald, the GOP was as stunned and as ill-prepared for him to win an election as I was. They had the opportunity to correct course after eight years of Obama, whose only claim to fame was that he was black by convenience.\n\nThe GOP could only step on their dicks while Donald did what he did to make America great again.\n\nWith these two guys as our only choices, America will not ever be great again.\n\nIf the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.", "role": "f04ec5a541a3", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"title\": \"America Faces Tough Choices\", \"subtitle\": \"A man who is facing a sentence and a man who can\\u2019t complete a sentence.\", \"author\": \"f04ec5a541a3\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"biden\", \"politics\", \"writing\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 170, \"voters\": 7, \"reads\": 5, \"views\": 22, \"presentations\": null, \"word_count\": 306, \"responses_count\": 5, \"reading_time\": 1.3547169811320754, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@bobnaquin/america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"unique_slug\": \"america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": false, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"If the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\"], \"anchors\": [{\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com/@claybanks?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Clay Banks\"}, {\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Unsplash\"}]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"voters\": [\"d2a641878400\", \"13e1450272bf\", \"1f8236f23dfc\", \"da9c613e0faa\", \"8e6aa7ace571\", \"dab0112f9578\", \"348a1f45f26c\", \"a11d766c5844\"], \"count\": 8}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"responses\": [\"3a782622a297\", \"e21d697d8ffe\", \"235bfa6bde23\", \"0c9bd2df50d9\", \"59b47d118414\"], \"count\": 5}}"}]
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| 1
|
{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "Oklahoma, USA (with plans to move to Mexico); grew up in Italy", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "NA (Italian childhood background, currently US-based)", "other": "Buddhist practitioner; practices samurai arts; has traveled internationally; fought racism in Oklahoma"}, "interests": ["Anti-Trump political commentary and resistance to fascism", "Social justice issues, particularly anti-racism and anti-Blackness", "Religious institutions and their decline, especially Christianity and mega churches", "Buddhism and Eastern spiritual practices", "Martial arts, specifically samurai traditions and Japanese warrior culture", "Cross-cultural religious symbolism (references Kali, Black Madonna, Sun Goddess)", "International politics and America's global reputation", "Historical figures like Yasuke the African samurai and the Oklahoma Black Bishop", "Democracy and capitalism critique", "Government competency and political leadership quality"], "values": ["Strongly anti-Trump, calling him 'an Orange undead Monkey from the Planet of the Apes. A Moron'", "Believes 'America is dying' and 'democracy is dying' under current political conditions", "Critical of capitalism, stating 'Capitalism is a lie' and 'We are returning to slavery'", "Anti-racism activist who 'fought the racism in Oklahoma' and supports others fighting 'the good fight'", "Spiritual but critical of institutional religion: 'God is real. Church is dead'", "Values international perspectives, noting foreigners say 'America is not a dream but now a nightmare'", "Supportive of social justice writers, frequently offering encouragement like 'Power to you'", "Believes 'Christianity is dying because of the fake church leaders'", "Pessimistic about American democracy, stating Trump 'will probably win again by losing the popular vote'", "Draws inspiration from warrior figures who fought oppression across cultures", "Critical of Christian nationalism and religious hypocrisy", "Values honesty and directness in political discourse"], "communication": ["Highly variable response length, from single words ('YES,' 'WOW,' 'FUNNY') to 150+ word narratives", "Extensive emoji usage with repetitive patterns like '\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f' and '\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90'", "Frequent expressions of gratitude and support: 'Thank you for writing this!' and 'Power to you'", "Uses all-caps for emphasis: 'YES,' 'WOW,' 'ROCK,' 'FUNNY'", "Personal storytelling style, sharing anecdotes about 'the Oklahoma Black Bishop' and growing up in Italy", "Encouraging and affirming tone with phrases like 'Keep writing. Fighting the good fight'", "Signs some responses with 'DOC' or personal touches like 'Hugs and happiness to you'", "Mixes brief affirmations with occasional detailed personal narratives", "Uses checkmark emojis (\u2705) to emphasize positive statements", "Combines spiritual/religious imagery with political commentary", "Direct and blunt when criticizing political figures"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 15-20 words, with range from 1 word to 150+ words", "Most frequent words: 'Thank you' (appears 7+ times), 'YES' (3 times), 'Power to you' (3 times)", "Emoji usage in 90%+ of responses, often 10-50+ emojis per response", "Short responses (1-5 words) comprise about 40% of all responses", "Medium responses (10-30 words) comprise about 40% of responses", "Long narrative responses (100+ words) comprise about 10% of responses", "Frequent use of prayer hands \ud83d\ude4f, hearts \u2764\ufe0f, checkmarks \u2705, and flower \ud83d\udc90 emojis", "Sentence structure varies from single-word exclamations to complex multi-sentence paragraphs with cultural references"]}
|
10
|
USA
United States of ASSES
|
001828eb43b8
|
dab0112f9578
| 1,750,862,038
|
[{"content": "America Faces Tough Choices\n\nA man who is facing a sentence and a man who can't complete a sentence.\n\nWhen Joe Biden was elected president, I thought he had signed his own death certificate. I honestly thought that he would be suicided out in his first year in office.\n\nThat did not happen, and then I watched as pretty much everyone made fun of his ineptness. I made fun, too.\n\nThen I became sad for him. Making fun of him became as much sport as making fun of a three-legged dog or a mentally handicapped person. Not much sport in that.\n\nSurely, his handlers would see that he did not become an embarrassment to himself and his family. That was Hunter's job, after all. But they didn't\n\nAfter shitting himself on the international stage, they allowed him to enter a debate. The only good point is that it was on CNN, so not many people saw him crumble into an elderly heap.\n\nThen you have Donald Trump. Here is a guy who started on third base and thinks he has hit a triple.\n\nHis father left him a lot of money, and to his credit, he turned it into many tons of money. Many people in the US of A could have done that.\n\nThe first time through with Donald, the GOP was as stunned and as ill-prepared for him to win an election as I was. They had the opportunity to correct course after eight years of Obama, whose only claim to fame was that he was black by convenience.\n\nThe GOP could only step on their dicks while Donald did what he did to make America great again.\n\nWith these two guys as our only choices, America will not ever be great again.\n\nIf the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.", "role": "f04ec5a541a3", "metadata": "{\"counts\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"title\": \"America Faces Tough Choices\", \"subtitle\": \"A man who is facing a sentence and a man who can\\u2019t complete a sentence.\", \"author\": \"f04ec5a541a3\", \"publication_id\": \"*Self-Published*\", \"published_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"last_modified_at\": \"2024-06-29 17:57:17\", \"boosted_at\": \"\", \"tags\": [\"trump\", \"biden\", \"politics\", \"writing\"], \"topics\": [\"politics\"], \"claps\": 170, \"voters\": 7, \"reads\": 5, \"views\": 22, \"presentations\": null, \"word_count\": 306, \"responses_count\": 5, \"reading_time\": 1.3547169811320754, \"url\": \"https://medium.com/@bobnaquin/america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"unique_slug\": \"america-faces-tough-choices-001828eb43b8\", \"image_url\": \"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\", \"lang\": \"en\", \"is_series\": false, \"is_locked\": false, \"is_shortform\": false, \"top_highlight\": \"If the Statue of Liberty could weep, she would.\"}, \"assets\": {\"other_embeds\": {}, \"images\": [\"https://miro.medium.com/0*zjO_U900zfYKeoQv\"], \"anchors\": [{\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com/@claybanks?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Clay Banks\"}, {\"href\": \"https://unsplash.com?utm_source=medium&utm_medium=referral\", \"text\": \"Unsplash\"}]}, \"fans\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"voters\": [\"d2a641878400\", \"13e1450272bf\", \"1f8236f23dfc\", \"da9c613e0faa\", \"8e6aa7ace571\", \"dab0112f9578\", \"348a1f45f26c\", \"a11d766c5844\"], \"count\": 8}, \"responses\": {\"id\": \"001828eb43b8\", \"responses\": [\"3a782622a297\", \"e21d697d8ffe\", \"235bfa6bde23\", \"0c9bd2df50d9\", \"59b47d118414\"], \"count\": 5}}"}]
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| 1
|
{"demographics": {"age group": "NA", "gender": "NA", "location": "Oklahoma, USA (with plans to move to Mexico); grew up in Italy", "occupation": "NA", "nationality": "NA (Italian childhood background, currently US-based)", "other": "Buddhist practitioner; practices samurai arts; has traveled internationally; fought racism in Oklahoma"}, "interests": ["Anti-Trump political commentary and resistance to fascism", "Social justice issues, particularly anti-racism and anti-Blackness", "Religious institutions and their decline, especially Christianity and mega churches", "Buddhism and Eastern spiritual practices", "Martial arts, specifically samurai traditions and Japanese warrior culture", "Cross-cultural religious symbolism (references Kali, Black Madonna, Sun Goddess)", "International politics and America's global reputation", "Historical figures like Yasuke the African samurai and the Oklahoma Black Bishop", "Democracy and capitalism critique", "Government competency and political leadership quality"], "values": ["Strongly anti-Trump, calling him 'an Orange undead Monkey from the Planet of the Apes. A Moron'", "Believes 'America is dying' and 'democracy is dying' under current political conditions", "Critical of capitalism, stating 'Capitalism is a lie' and 'We are returning to slavery'", "Anti-racism activist who 'fought the racism in Oklahoma' and supports others fighting 'the good fight'", "Spiritual but critical of institutional religion: 'God is real. Church is dead'", "Values international perspectives, noting foreigners say 'America is not a dream but now a nightmare'", "Supportive of social justice writers, frequently offering encouragement like 'Power to you'", "Believes 'Christianity is dying because of the fake church leaders'", "Pessimistic about American democracy, stating Trump 'will probably win again by losing the popular vote'", "Draws inspiration from warrior figures who fought oppression across cultures", "Critical of Christian nationalism and religious hypocrisy", "Values honesty and directness in political discourse"], "communication": ["Highly variable response length, from single words ('YES,' 'WOW,' 'FUNNY') to 150+ word narratives", "Extensive emoji usage with repetitive patterns like '\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f\u2764\ufe0f' and '\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90\ud83d\udc90'", "Frequent expressions of gratitude and support: 'Thank you for writing this!' and 'Power to you'", "Uses all-caps for emphasis: 'YES,' 'WOW,' 'ROCK,' 'FUNNY'", "Personal storytelling style, sharing anecdotes about 'the Oklahoma Black Bishop' and growing up in Italy", "Encouraging and affirming tone with phrases like 'Keep writing. Fighting the good fight'", "Signs some responses with 'DOC' or personal touches like 'Hugs and happiness to you'", "Mixes brief affirmations with occasional detailed personal narratives", "Uses checkmark emojis (\u2705) to emphasize positive statements", "Combines spiritual/religious imagery with political commentary", "Direct and blunt when criticizing political figures"], "statistics": ["Average response length approximately 15-20 words, with range from 1 word to 150+ words", "Most frequent words: 'Thank you' (appears 7+ times), 'YES' (3 times), 'Power to you' (3 times)", "Emoji usage in 90%+ of responses, often 10-50+ emojis per response", "Short responses (1-5 words) comprise about 40% of all responses", "Medium responses (10-30 words) comprise about 40% of responses", "Long narrative responses (100+ words) comprise about 10% of responses", "Frequent use of prayer hands \ud83d\ude4f, hearts \u2764\ufe0f, checkmarks \u2705, and flower \ud83d\udc90 emojis", "Sentence structure varies from single-word exclamations to complex multi-sentence paragraphs with cultural references"]}
|
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