Tootfinder

In his new book,
"The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy",
journalist Gil Duršn warns that Silicon Valley’s richest and most powerful technologists are working to replace American democracy with a corporate-run authoritarian order.
Marisa Lagos speaks with Duršn about Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, the rise of “tech fascism,” and how we can fight back.

Political Breakdown | Do Silicon Valley Billionaires Want to End Democracy?
Gil Durán warns that Silicon Valley billionaires are trying to overthrow American democracy.

Im Guardian einen schönen Abriss über die Geschichte der Computertechnologie-als-Demokratisierungsutopie gefunden.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/aug/18/the-long-read-democracy-v-the-machine-digital-ag…

Democracy v the machine: the birth of the digital age and the warnings that were ignored
The long read: Many hoped that the march of technology would usher in a utopia – but some foresaw the threat it would pose to liberal society. Why did nobody listen?

The midterm elections, by the Hamilton cast.
#uspol #democracy

O&C – ownership and control – *that’s* the lens by which we should be evaluating data and technology.
Who owns and controls data and technology?
If we want a fair, just world with human rights, freedom, and democracy, the answer to that question must be twofold:
1. Data about and technology for the commons must be owned and controlled by the commons.
2. Data about and technology for people must be owned and controlled by individuals.
That’s it.
Notice …

Maine Secretary of State
Shenna Bellows announces her withdrawal from U.S. Senate race
Bellows stated that due to
"Donald Trump's attacks on our democracy" accelerating,
she felt the best way she could serve the country was to focus on her current role
#maine #democratic

I’m not even feeling doubtful atm, that if the democrats can’t win big in the midterms, I mean like unable-to-contest kind of big, the US democracy system will be over and the Republicans will find legal holes to let Trump rule a third term. #Trump #elections

One difference between Hegseth Evangelicals & Leonard Leo Catholics.
Evangelicals shout from the rooftops.
Catholics in Leo's circle rarely say what they want outloud.
They just go about undermining democracy, quietly, in the dark. Like termites.
From 2018 - out loud.
-- Tom Carter
https://www.

In Defence of Catholic Integralism
States that do not recognize both natural law and the transformation of law and public reason brought about by the raising of religion to a supernatural good will become confessors of false belief opposed to Christianity, and their great power will turn from supporting Christianity to opposing or ev

What an icon of a very imperfect, partial democracy.
Yet more peers stuffed into already 700-strong Lords will be baffling to public, ERS warns | Morning Star
https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/yet-more-peers…

Q&A with historian Jill Lepore on her new book The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State, tech leaders misreading science fiction warnings as manuals, and more (Anthony Ha/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/09/hist

Historian Jill Lepore says Silicon Valley misreads science fiction and undermines democracy | TechCrunch
On the latest episode of Equity, we spoke to Jill Lepore about "government by machines" and why Elon Musk is a bad science fiction reader.

A bipartisan group of 18 former FCC officials files a brief supporting ABC's request to halt the FCC's early review of its broadcast licenses (Protect Democracy)
https://protectdemocracy.org/work/former-fcc-officials-abc-amicus-brief/

Bipartisan coalition of former top FCC officials back ABC's First Amendment lawsuit against FCC
A bipartisan coalition of former FCC officials filed an amicus brief supporting ABC’s request for emergency relief in its lawsuit challenging the FCC’s early review of broadcast licenses.

„Move fast and break democracy" – Gil Duršn erzählt in „The Nerd Reich", wie aus Sonntagsreden über Freiheit und Innovation ein handfester Plan für digitalen Feudalismus wurde. Thiel, Andreessen, Musk als selbsternannte Erlöser, die zufällig auch gleich die Weltherrschaft mitliefern. Unterhaltsam erzählt, aber zum Fürchten ernst gemeint – lesen!

Fat Loser is now openly destroying American democracy on live TV.
#trump
☑️ How Trump’s address was bluntly aimed at destabilizing the US electoral system | Donald Trump | The Guardian

How Trump’s address was bluntly aimed at destabilizing the US electoral system
US president using office and intelligence agencies to try to undermine confidence in elections before midterms

"Yet the system is falling apart as it is. Yes, the AfD (and the far right in general) is a fundamental threat to liberal democracy, but so is the fact that a sizeable and growing part of the population no longer feels represented by its politicians. While many still come out to vote for democracy, they increasingly vote against a party rather than for one.
"

The AfD’s win in Germany is a dark day for Europe. Time is running out to stop the far right
This party is among the most extreme in Europe. To protect our democracies, liberal parties must urgently change their tactics, says Cas Mudde, author of The Far Right Today

Media Media
#democracy #socialmedia

Media Media
The authoritarians are winning, we can all see that. It wouldn't be the worst thing if the pro-democracy camp stopped being naive about social media.

The country is on fire.
We can save it together.
This is the plan:
A practical field guide for ending America's meltdown and saving democracy.
https://thisistheplan.com/

This Is the Plan: How to End America's Meltdown and Save Democracy
A practical field guide for ending America's meltdown and saving democracy.

This is the actual #CountBinface talking about #Democracy. He's serious — and very interesting indeed. Strongly recommended.
I want to see this man in parliament.
#UKPol

BBC Sounds - Could an Ancient Athenian Fix Britain? - Available Episodes
Listen to the latest episodes of Could an Ancient Athenian Fix Britain? on BBC Sounds.

Hey Democracy, "Wait in the truck" while we pull a Hardy to the Republicans. #FuckTrump #NotMyPresident #USPol

COMING SOON: The Nerd Reich by Gil Duršn (@…)
https://social.trom.tf/display/dbc8dc44-606a-5416-9e63-b78152956776

"Athens Is Turning its Old Airport into One of Europe’s Largest Parks"
#Athens #Europe #Airport #Park

Athens Is Turning its Old Airport into One of Europe's Largest Parks
it won't only add an unforgettable attraction to the birthplace of Democracy, but also a shaded refuge for residents of Europe's hottest city

Buying votes. The bane of elections. Read Against Elections (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30957274-against-elections)

Against Elections: The Case for Democracy
Democracy is in bad health. Against Elections offers a …

Farage's UK far-right party receives record €42 million donation from crypto billionaire. The role of crypto in the tech billionaire push to topple democracy is described in Gil Duran's recent book The Nerd Reich.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3v4zvyde15o

Ben Delo: Reform receives record £36m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire
Ben Delo's donation, the biggest single sum ever given to a political party in the UK, comes amid scrutiny of Reform's finances.

Democrats sue Trump DOJ for records on potential ballot seizures in midterms (Yunior Rivas/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/democrats-sue-trump-doj-for-records-on-potential-ballot-seizures-in-midterms/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260820/p139#a260820p139

#GiftLink Sally Quinn: "there’s lots more damage that will be done to this city, and to our democracy — not to mention America’s place in the world — before Mr. Trump and his rabble are through. But it’s clearly starting to dawn on the MAGA minions that the morning after is going to be a doozy."
Opinion | It’s No Longer So Much Fun to Be MAGA in Washington - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/opinion/washington-dc-maga-trump.html

Good essay on what went wrong with computers
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/aug/18/the-long-read-democracy-v-the-machine-digital-age-warnings-computer-history-technology

If democracy isn’t working for you, try sudo democracy.
#EU #ChatControl

"In The Postmedia Effect, Marc Edge takes Canada's dominant newspaper chain, #Postmedia, as a case study laying bare the changes in news economics that over the past two generations have hollowed out the nation's newsrooms, undermining not just citizens' trust in what is reported to them, but the very foundations of a democracy steered by an informed electorate."
https://www.newstarbooks.com/book.php?book_id=1554201977

"The US is no longer a democracy. 1 of the most credible global sources on the health of democratic nations now says this outright. The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute at Gothenburg University reaches the alarming conclusion in its annual report, that the US is hurtling towards autocracy at a faster rate than Hungary Turkey
“Our data on the USA goes back to 1789. What we’re seeing now is the most severe magnitude of democratic backsliding ever in the country"

‘Trump is aiming for dictatorship’. That’s the verdict of the world’s most credible democracy watchdog
Sweden’s V-Dem Institute warns that the US is no longer a liberal democracy. And autocracy is creeping across Europe too, says writer Martin Gelin

https://rs.bot/CuTH29

Reject Loyalists like Blanche. Safeguard American Democracy.
Reject Loyalists like Blanche. Safeguard American Democracy. Reject Loyalists Protect Democracy Trump’s conviction that he and his cronies should run the…

"Compliance with…law hasn’t been a defining feature of…Trump administration. Nonetheless…law matters, & federal law is ill-disposed to aggressive ICE presence at voting locations. 18 U.S.C. § 592 states…no federal officer may keep "troops or armed men" at an election site except to repel armed enemies of…United States…same title of U.S. code prohibits voter intimidation (18 U.S.C. § 594). So too does…Voting Rights Act…&…National Voter Registration Act…"

ICE at the Polls: Not the Hottest Election Threat
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.

We know from polling that voters want us to be talking about preserving their rights and freedoms (No Kings)
and not just “kitchen table issues”
and that there is nothing more intrinsically American than fighting for freedom and democracy.
We also know from polling, lots and lots of polling, that voters believe that our hearts are in right place
but question our toughness, and whether we are strong enough to be able to fight and deliver for them.
So we should se…

The Importance Of Character And Virtue In The 2026 Elections
Trump has reminded the American people why it is so important to have leaders of virtue and character.......

"Foundry is a proprietary product. Some #NHS data analysts told us that all their work on the FDP would be lost if they no longer had access to #Palantir’s platform. This raises concerns over what many experts call “vendor lock in”. Once you start using a Silicon Valley tech company’s product, it can …

I investigated Palantir’s foothold in the British state – and what I found should worry us all
Paid-for political access and threadbare regulations have helped to embed the US tech firm in the NHS – and beyond. But there is a way to free ourselves, asks Peter Geoghegan of Democracy for Sale

The UK’s long-term failure to develop a coherent technology strategy is no longer just a business problem - increasingly it’s a democratic one. That's the view of former ministers, open source advocates and policy experts at an roundtable event earlier this month.

UK’s tech strategy failure is a threat to democracy, experts
The UK’s long-term failure to develop a coherent technology strategy is no longer just a business problem - increasingly it’s a democratic one.

Voting for the Cage: How Fundamentalism Married Politics, Made Dissent a Sin, and Persuaded Citizens to Surrender Their Own Freedom
Democracy does not always die with soldiers at the doors of parliament. Sometimes it reports for duty on election day....

Lite version of New Municipalism proposal from Ballot Box Scotland in response to the Scottish Government's Programme for Government
https://newmunicipalism.ballotbox.scot/lite
A sensible-looking way to enhance democracy and accountability in Scotland.

Toy Story 6: The European Parliament
#ChatControl #EU #democracy

Texas appeals court won't block GOP-led county from changing voting maps after primary (Yunior Rivas/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-appeals-court-wont-block-gop-led-county-from-changing-voting-maps-after-primary/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260820/p122#a260820p122

~2500 years later and the problems of #democracy are still the same – and no solution in sight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QyRqlTV60zM

Democracy indicators in US at lowest levels for 50 years, data shows https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/15/us-democracy-indicators-lowest-for-50-years?CMP=share_btn_url

There is absolutely no legitimate, or appropriate path, for this writ.
Doesn't mean this batch of dishonest hacks won't do it.
-- @leaddreamer.bsky.social
https://bsky.app/profile/democracydocket.com/post/3mqubam3lyv27

Democracy Docket (@democracydocket.com)
BREAKING: A prominent right-wing group is asking SCOTUS to force Hawaii to hand over its voter rolls after a lower court dismissed the group's lawsuit. At issue is whether federal law requires the state to make that data public.

“The only democracy in the Middle East.”
https://variety.com/2026/film/global/israels-minister-culture-revoke-citizenships-naza-directors-1236860821/

Israeli Official Threatens to Revoke Citizenships of 'NAZA' Directors
Israel’s Minister of Culture Miki Zohar threatened to revoke the Israeli citizenships of 'NAZA' co-directors Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor.

Bernie Sanders Saw This Coming
For decades, the senator has argued that concentrated wealth threatened American democracy.
Now he’s betting that frustration with Big Tech, billionaires, and unchecked AI is reaching a tipping point
https://www.wired.com/story/the-big-interv…

Bernie Sanders Saw This Coming
For decades, Bernie Sanders has argued that concentrated wealth threatened American democracy. Now he’s betting that frustration with Big Tech, billionaires, and unchecked AI is reaching a tipping point.

California enacts new election safeguards against potential Trump interference in midterms (Yunior Rivas/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/california-enacts-new-election-safeguards-against-potential-trump-interference-in-midterms/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260919/p64#a260919p64

Vote HOPE!
#BinDay
#Binface4Clacton
#VoteBinface

Right in the Bin
Vote, they say. Once every five years, they say. That's democracy, they say. You've had your choice, they say. It won't change anything. They'll do what the donors, the lobbyists and the strategists tell them. It's in the national interest, they say. It's not in ours.

URGENT: Let the DC Council know you oppose their Emergency Bill to change the At-Large election structure BEFORE July 14!!!
https://social.trom.tf/display/dbc8dc44-126a-517c-fc87-c6e118652241

A look at Tom Rosenstiel's idea that journalists should "run toward" AI to improve journalism, using it to collect and analyze data, find false claims, and more (Jem Bartholomew/Columbia Journalism Review)
https://www.

Should the press “run toward” AI?
A new book argues that news organizations should enthusiastically adopt AI to improve their journalism. Critics aren’t so sure.

"Oswald Mosley was the most significant fascist in Britain’s political history. His threat to democracy in the 1930s was backed by major sections of the Establishment — not to mention Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy — and only seen off by mass working-class agitation and mobilisation."
Mosley’s heirs must be confronted | Morning Star

Don't forget who co-invested in Musk's takeover of Twitter:
Andreessen Horowitz, venture capitalists closely connected to Peter Thiel's anti-democracy drive, Saudi prince al-Waleed bin Talal, and 8VC, a venture capital firm cofounded by Thiel's Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale.
[The Nerd Reich]

Murkowski slams door shut on supporting SAVE America Act - Democracy Docket
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/murkowski-slams-door-shut-on-supporting-save-america-act/

National Guard, working within a federal task force, have now shot and killed a civilian in Tennessee.
Military under federal guidance killing Americans on the streets: where we now are in the democracy backslide/authoritarian takeover attempt we all now face.
https://

National Guard members in Memphis fatally shoot man during pursuit
Tennessee National Guard members assigned to a crime-fighting patrol in Memphis fatally shot a man who turned toward the soldiers with a gun during a downtown pursuit. The Memphis Police Department said Sunday the federal troops and police were responding to a report of gunfire around 4 a.m. National Guard spokesperson Lt. Col. Darrin Haas says the guardsmen were deployed as part of the Trump administration's federal crackdown on crime. He adds that the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is revi…

Tech journalist Karen Hao has been covering OpenAI’s astounding rise for years
and is the author of Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman’s OpenAI.
She says that while many in Silicon Valley warn of AI’s sci-fi-like threats, the real risks are already here.
“We are allowing the tech industry to consolidate this extraordinary degree of resources unlike anything ever before,” she tells More To The Story host Al Letson.
“We thought that they were already powe…

The race to stop AI’s threats to democracy
Tech journalist Karen Hao sounds the alarm about the rising risks to the country—and planet—from the growth of artificial intelligence.

Nielsen ratings dropped for #CBS not just because they killed The Late Show but because they didn't have the audience drag on the TV channel *from the night before*.
▶️ Ratings IMPLOSION Spells Bad News For Bari Weiss After Colbert Firing - Democracy Watch

California senators call for 'maximum oversight' over conspiracist Tina Peters' new election job (Matt Cohen/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/california-senators-call-for-maximum-oversight-over-conspiracist-tina-peters-new-election-job/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260819/p86#a260819p86

Young voters have the power to decide elections and shape policies that matter to them,
but outdated get-out-the-vote strategies often fail to reach them.
Donuts Democracy offers a simple, cost-effective solution:
engaging, educating, and empowering young voters one donut and one conversation at a time.
By working all year-round,
we're building a future where voting is a lifelong habit,
civic engagement is second nature,
and the next generatio…

DONUTS + DEMOCRACY
Young voters have the power to determine elections, but outdated GOTV strategies often fail to reach them. Donuts+Democracy offers a simple, cost-effective solution to increase young voter turnout.

No Chick-fil-A, no voting: One North Carolina county's argument for closing polls on Sundays (Natalie Hausmann/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/no-chick-fil-a-no-voting-one-north-carolina-countys-argument-for-closing-polls-on-sundays/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260820/p111#a260820p111

You'll all know I'm a fan of #Binface4Clacton, the space alien on a mission to teach humans how to do #democracy before it's too late. Here he attempts to school Rory Stewart and Alistair Campbell — but I'm afraid it's all Greek to them.
The Rest Is Politics: Leading:…

Democracy doesn’t begin on Election Day.
And it doesn’t end when the polls close.
It is built every day by ordinary people who choose to stay informed, participate in their communities,
and take responsibility for the future they want to help shape.
That’s why we’re launching
The Guardrails Challenge.
For the next 100 days, we’re inviting readers to complete one meaningful civic action each week.
None of these actions requires running for office, pu…

100 Days to Strengthen American Democracy
Saving Democracy, one action at a time

Hong Kong's security chief warns the Hong Kong Journalists Association against "misusing" its role or hurting national security, ahead of the group's elections (Agence France-Presse)
https://www.courthousenews.com/hong-kong-s

Hong Kong security chief warns journalists' union ahead of election
Beijing imposed a national security law after large and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

RE: https://digitalcourage.social/@echo_pbreyer/116811139848528087
The EU is a democracy in the same way X Corp would be a democracy if they provided daycare and called it the X Corp Parliament.
(The EU Parliament is the only parliament on…

Sign-up For
Democracy Action Network
Indivisible Los Angeles
Interest Form · Volunteer organized
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/770562/

Sign-up For Democracy Action Network / Indivisible LA · Indivisible
The Democracy Action Network (DAN) was founded in November 2024 by David Comfort in response to the re-election of Donald Trump. Emerging as a grassroots organization dedicated to defending democratic institutions, promoting civic engagement, and fostering inclusive democracy, DAN has quickly become a prominent force in the pro-democracy movement. With a nonpartisan ethos and a commitment to nonviolent resistance, DAN seeks to address threats to constitutional governance while building a broad-…

"The beauty of democracy is that it's self-correcting. If you don't like what's going on, vote. And that's how America heals itself."
- George W. Bush
▶️ #Clinton, #Bush, #Obama

It's Dr. Mariah Lancaster.
The other day, a 26-year-old man was shot and killed by ICE in Biddeford, Maine.
He was on his way to work.
Congress is funding this
- I'm running to pull back every dollar of it.
It's time to abolish and prosecute ICE.
To change our politics,
we have to elect New Leaders
Please Donate
>>

Dr. Mariah Lancaster for Congress
With our Democracy on the line, Dr. Mariah Lancaster is ready for battle.

What Cletus Thinks About "Democracy" (Jonathan V. Last/The Bulwark)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/what-cletus-thinks-about-democracy
http://www.memeorandum.com/260625/p106#a260625p106

RE: https://woof.tech/@synnef/116889841352030195
The EU is a democracy because the EU Council says so.

Elon Musk wants to buy Republicans a win in the midterms,
but Donuts Democracy knows how to defeat him and MAGA.
Help us >> https://d-de.me

DONUTS + DEMOCRACY
Young voters have the power to determine elections, but outdated GOTV strategies often fail to reach them. Donuts+Democracy offers a simple, cost-effective solution to increase young voter turnout.

The nearly $2 billion fund Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted was "dead" to salvage his confirmation is anything but,
as the Justice Department now moves to revive the legal effort behind it.
The DOJ notified a federal judge Friday that it is appealing to the 11th Circuit, Democracy Docket reported,
challenging U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams' July ruling that gutted President Donald Trump's attempt to sue himself.
Williams found that the $…

Trump's slush fund Blanche called 'dead' to win confirmation is back from the grave
The nearly $2 billion fund Attorney General Todd Blanche insisted was "dead" to salvage his confirmation is anything but, as the Justice Department now moves to revive the legal effort behind it.The DOJ notified a federal judge Friday that it is appealing to the 11th Circuit, Democracy Docket report...

Professor of Public Policy, Democracy Policy (New Career Opportunities at U-M)
https://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/280192/professor-public-policy-democracy-policy
http://www.memeorandum.com/260716/p82#a260716p82

Standards Not Force
may be useful for residents who want to become more involved in local government, public oversight, peaceful protest, corporate accountability, or community organizing.
It may also support journalists, researchers, democracy advocates, neighborhood groups, students, nonprofit organizations, and volunteers seeking a structured approach to lawful civic engagement.
The organization presents an advocacy framework rather than a neutral government or academic…

Standards Not Force - Resistance Directory
Standards Not Force promotes lawful nonviolent civic action, public accountability, community safety, transparency, and grassroots organizing.

America is celebrating its 250th anniversary of independence
and Ukraine recently marked its Constitution Day, 30 years after shedding its Soviet past.
America’s and Ukraine’s breaks from foreign occupiers — centuries apart – are reminders of how everyday citizens who embrace their civic duties and fight for freedom can bring about lasting security for themselves and the allies supporting their struggle.
Fast forward to 2026,
five years since Ukrainian democracy’s own…

Ukraine’s Successes Make the Case for How Democracy Support Enhances U.S. National Security
Ukraine's survival in the face of Russian aggression demonstrates how its democratic institutions are a U.S. national security asset.

All the Dictator's Men -- The assault on liberal democracy is a whole-of-government Trumpist project. (The Bulwark)
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/all-the-dictators-men-trump-blanche-clayton-democracy-midterms-elections-2020
http://www.memeorandum.com/260716/p49#a260716p49

There is no denying the seriousness of the threat posed by Trump.
He is trying to implement the classic autocrat’s playbook
by chipping away at the restraints on executive authority.
He has made dangerous inroads,
but in most cases,
the opposition has been significant.
A struggle is under way, and the prospects for his success are dimming.
The Republican-led Congress has been most disappointing.
It has largely swallowed Trump’s excesses beca…

Trump is a danger to US democracy. But the resistance is working
The president has made dangerous inroads in his push toward autocracy. Yet the prospects for his success are dimming

D D's Donut Wagons are on college campuses right now.
What we do is simple but incredibly powerful.
Show your support!
>> https://d-de.me

Donuts + Democracy
Donuts + Democracy offers a powerful, game changing solution to the registering, educating, and mobilizing young voters.

On Aug. 14, Edith Golub turned 106.
A little over a year ago, Edith and her daughter Sharon joined The Beacon,
a democracy advocacy project launched in 2025 by people concerned about the rise of authoritarianism.
The group proposes pushing back through community connections and “keeping joy alive.”
“The world is not in good condition,” Edith said.
“I never spoke out for anybody or anything, but now if I can, I would like to do everything I could to help them…

‘Be good. Be well. Be kind.’ At 106, Edith Golub found a reason to take a stand
At 106, Edith Golub joins the Beacon in Century Village, Florida, protesting weekly with her daughter to promote democracy, kindness and community connection.

Age restrictions on mail voting are unconstitutional, Fourth Circuit says in rare 26th Amendment case (Jim Saksa/Democracy Docket)
https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/age-restrictions-on-mail-voting-are-unconstitutional-fourth-circuit-says-in-rare-26th-amendment-case/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260818/p113#a260818p113

While calls to “abolish ICE”
have exploded during the second Trump presidency,
critics have been calling out the threats the agency poses to immigrants,
US citizens, and democracy itself
since it was created just over 20 years ago.
In this episode of Rattling the Bars,
host and former political prisoner Mansa Musa speaks with author and immigrant justice organizer Harsha Walia about the origins of ICE
and what it will take to abolish it and the new …

ICE: From the ‘War on Terror’ to the war on us
“Every president across party lines has poured money into ICE,” author and immigrant justice organizer Harsha Walia tells us.

A civically minded voter in Houston, Texas, may already have voted six times this year.
When voters in California cast their ballots in November, they will weigh in on a wealth tax from three different angles.
In Idaho, home to just 2m people, voters will elect 49 judges, a slew of county coroners and decide which of six firearms should become the state’s official gun.
No other rich democracy hands as many decisions directly to its voters

Fifth Circuit Cites A Ruling Calling Mail-In Ballots "Vital" To Falsely Claim They "Jeopardize Democracy Itself" (Mike Masnick/Techdirt)
https://www.techdirt.com/2026/08/14/fifth-circuit-cites-a-ruling-calling-mail-in-ballots-vital-to-falsely-claim-they-jeopardize-democracy-itself/
http://www.memeorandum.com/260814/p60#a260814p60

In “53 Days,”
the historian Timothy W. Ryback
shows how the Nazis used democratic means to destroy German democracy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/books/review/53-days-timothy-ryback.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share

Book Review: ‘53 Days,’ by Timothy W. Ryback
In “53 Days,” the historian Timothy W. Ryback shows how the Nazis used democratic means to destroy German democracy.

I don’t think we can rule out Mitch tearing up his own floors, haunted by the sound of the still-beating heart of the democracy he murdered.
-- alielkin
-- markgallagherphd
https://www.threads.com/@joannebfreeman/post/DarVT6rjlBW

Joanne Freeman (@joannebfreeman) on Threads
Winning post of the day.

The Campaign Legal Center (CLC),
a nonprofit whose stated aim is to defend democracy,
has filed a formal complaint with the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE)
regarding monetary “gifts” from Donald Trump to a handful of White House staffers.
Trump made payments of $45,000 each to Natalie Harp, his doting executive assistant who rarely leaves his side;
Chamberlain Harris,
his deputy director of Oval Office operations;
and Margo Martin,
a Wh…

Ethics Complaint Filed Over Trump’s Cash Gifts to Natalie Harp, 3 Other Staffers
The complaint alleges that there is a “legitimate question” whether Trump is paying staffers for their loyalty.

Donald Trump hates voting and he hates democracy.
This is not really in dispute.
But just in case anyone forgot,
he reminded us again last week when he unexpectedly and churlishly declared on Truth Social that
he would not sign the ROAD to Housing Act
which had passed with massive bipartisan support
(358-32 in the House; 85-5 in the Senate).
“Today’s Housing News Conference and Signing is hereby cancelled
until such time as we pass the desper…

Donald Trump hates democracy, housing bill edition
Republicans enraged the president by trying to listen to their constituents.

If there were a 10% chance that AI could wipe out humanity,
no responsible government would leave its development to companies racing to build it.
Yet until recently, that seemed to be the case.
The warning was all the more ominous because it was made by a researcher at Anthropic,
the trillion-dollar AI company behind the Claude chatbot.
The dangers of AI-enabled pandemics or attacks on nuclear systems are real.
Countries need not agree on democracy or …

The Guardian view on controlling AI: humanity cannot outsource its survival
Editorial: Keeping people in charge means little if supercomputers determine the evidence, choices and time on which their decisions depend

When thousands of immigration agents flooded Minnesota earlier this year,
a loose network of neighbors sprang into action.
They fed each other.
They got kids to and from school safely.
They tracked the surge that tore through their communities.
After organizing, block by block,
to monitor Donald Trump’s extraordinary crackdown on their state,
the same neighbors are shifting their focus to a different threat.
What if the US president tries to …

Anti-ICE organizers shift focus to defend democracy from Trump assault
Citizens in Minnesota using lessons learned from migrant crackdown to protect elections from president’s threats

A team of researchers led by Democracy Now!’s Juan Gonzšlez
at the University of Illinois Chicago
recently released an in-depth study
on how, through a program called
"Tax Increment Financing" (TIF),
Chicago has spent some $16 billion
in property taxes it collected over the past 40 years
to fund downtown development.
The money was supposed to be used to eliminate urban blight.
”TIF funding has actually exacerbated economic ine…

“Who Paid, Who Gained”: Juan González on How Chicago Funded Real Estate Instead of Social Services
A team of researchers led by Democracy Now!’s Juan González at the University of Illinois Chicago recently released an in-depth study on how, through a program called Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Chicago has spent some $16 billion in property taxes it collected over the past 40 years to fund downtown development. The money was supposed to be used to eliminate urban blight. ”TIF funding has actually exacerbated economic inequities throughout the city, pouring more than half of the billion…

Negativity surrounding the government has seeped into public perception of the core components of America’s story,
such as its history, notions of American foreign influence and impact, or the way the country’s democracy works.
Pride in American democracy has declined 14 percentage points since 2017, when it was measured at 42 percent, to 28 percent.
The survey also found that a majority of Americans are disillusioned with the American dream:
They are not confident in …

Americans’ Pride Drops to New Low as 250th Anniversary Approaches
The American public aren’t feeling particularly proud of their country, according to a new poll.

The richest man on Earth owns X.
The family of the second-richest man owns Paramount, which owns CBS, and could soon own Warner Bros, which owns CNN.
The third-richest man owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
The fourth-richest man owns the Washington Post and Amazon MGM Studios.
Another billionaire owns Fox News, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Post, and now the Roku streaming service
Why are the ultra-rich buying up so much of the media?
Van…

Ultra-rich media owners are tightening their grip on democracy. It’s time to wrest our power back
The Guardian has no billionaire or corporate owner: funded by readers, our fierce independence is guaranteed

Unimaginable that any FBI Director is as shameless as Kash Patel
as well as incompetent and greedy.

Equally unimaginable are the Senators who confirmed his appointment.
https://bsky.app/profile/macfarlanenews.bsky.social/post/3mqa5ma2h5c2u…

Scott MacFarlane (@macfarlanenews.bsky.social)
NEW: DC judge orders FBI to respond by July 30 to a lawsuit by watchdog group Democracy Forward, which seeks records/communications from Kash Patel's security team including the following terms: Alcohol Asleep Drunk Drinking Hungover Inebriated Intoxicated et al

For decades, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, known as DRL,
has supported  human rights in some of the most oppressive countries in the world.
Now, our reporting found,  it’s planning to direct funds to controversial groups supporting right-wing causes in Europe and elsewhere. 
Our full story lays out some of the groups the government has considered funding, which includea British free-speech organization that has fought against bans on “gay conversion ther…

What Is the Trump Administration Doing With Foreign Aid Money?
The billions of dollars Congress has allocated for foreign aid programs must be spent. One proposal from the Trump administration suggested funding research on crime against Afrikaners in South Africa.

Shopify CEO Tobias Lütke,
whose company commands a market capitalization near $154 billion,
told his social media followers this week that a tax-tiered voting system
—one that would strip voting rights from anyone who pays no income tax
—would be a “good system.”
That two-word endorsement,
dropped into a viral thread,
has reignited a debate over wealth, power,
and democracy that most Americans thought was settled more than a century ago.
Th…

Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
Should how much you pay in taxes determine how much your vote counts? Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke seems to think so.

Americans are not accustomed to learning lessons about democracy from Nigeria, Peru, or the Philippines.
That disregard may soon change.
Those countries offer examples of what it looks like to reclaim stolen or swindled wealth from fallen authoritarian rulers.
Done right, this work can deliver justice and strengthen democratic institutions for the long run.
But cleaning up after a corrupt regime also comes with serious challenges and hazards.
The Trump presi…

What Might Happen to Trump’s Ill-Gotten Gains
He’s made billions of dollars off the Oval Office. The White House is a piggy bank for the Trumps.

The rise of Rush Limbaugh and Fox News,
and before them, grifter television evangelists,
turned out to be critical in blocking the country’s movement toward equality and true representation,
instead bringing democracy to the brink of collapse.
The U.S. disaster is currently mirrored around the world by ascendant authoritarian parties and movements.
Something larger is going on,
and as always, it’s worth paying attention to the very particular history of …

Trumpism as social contagion
It isn't just propaganda ops. Authoritarianism spreads person to person.

‘They slammed their M16s against his skull’:
-- inside the film about Amy Goodman’s fearless reporting
As "Steal This Story, Please!" charts her astonishing reports on everything from climate summits to earthquakes to massacres,
Goodman talks about dissent, censorship – and her ‘magic moments'
👉 "I consider an exclusive a failure,”
Amy Goodman says.
It is not a typical observation for a journalist to make,
but it is the approach a…

‘They slammed their M16s against his skull’: inside the film about Amy Goodman’s fearless reporting
As Steal This Story, Please! charts her astonishing reports on everything from climate summits to earthquakes to massacres, Goodman talks about dissent, censorship – and her ‘magic moments’

Progressive California state lawmaker
Aisha Wahab
made history last week in a special election
that will make her the first Afghan American in Congress.
Wahab overcame a flood of attack ads from pro-Israel groups
to beat her Democratic rival, Melissa Hernandez,
in a race to replace disgraced Congressmember Eric Swalwell,
who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
Wahab tells Democracy Now! she appreciates voters in her distri…

In Defeat for AIPAC, Aisha Wahab Wins House Seat, Becoming First Afghan American in Congress
Progressive California state lawmaker Aisha Wahab made history last week in a special election that will make her the first Afghan American in Congress. Wahab overcame a flood of attack ads from pro-Israel groups to beat her Democratic rival, Melissa Hernandez, in a race to replace disgraced Congressmember Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Wahab tells Democracy Now! she appreciates voters in her district for “seeing through” the “lies that were sp…

✅Cory Booker.
✅Amy Klobuchar.
✅Mark Kelly.
✅Raphael Warnock.
✅Chuck Schumer.
✅Adam Schiff.
Top Democrats are FIGHTING tooth and nail to
𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥,
𝗕𝗔𝗡 Dark Money from our elections,
and 𝗘𝗡𝗗 Donald Trump's chokehold on our Democracy.
BUT: Few supporters are stepping up to fund our Constitutional Amendment Campaign...
We wouldn't ask if we had literally any other choice:
🔺 𝐂𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 $𝟏𝟎…

End Citizens United
End Citizens United

In addition to all the other arguments we are making in these final two months before the midterm election #we need to be up front and open about the Republican's outrageous cheating and manipulation
-- for it will both help us win
and prepare the electorate for all the fuckery to come.
Their cheating is a manifestation of their oligarchical betrayal
and disdain for our democracy, …

We Need To Turn Their Furious, Desperate Cheating Into Righteous Anger And Make A Big Blue Wave
People will start voting in North Carolina this week, early in person voting kicks off in thirteen days - the General Election is here everyone! Make your early vote plan today!

Trump’s well-documented ability to destroy everything he touches has come for what should have been the easiest of tasks:
making the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence fun.
If there is one thing the world’s oldest democracy is good at, it’s throwing Independence Day parties,
hosting outdoor concerts, and filling out state fairs with charmingly schlocky entertainment and ice cream stands.
Producing the Great American State Fair in Was…

Trump wrecked America's 250th in DC, but other blue cities will save it
Christina Aguilera, Chris Stapleton and Jelly Roll — real stars — headline July Fourth parties in liberal towns

Aspiring autocrats operate differently in the 21st century;
In previous eras, they had little hesitation about unleashing violence and committing massive human rights violations.
Today, they try to fool both domestic and international audiences into thinking that democracy and the rule of law still exist.
The recently deposed Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbšn, was a master of this technique;
He spent many years performing what he called “the peacock dance”

Are Trump’s most blatant authoritarian moves backfiring?
The president’s methods, from ‘flooding the zone’ with scandals to prioritizing loyalty over competence, could ultimately weaken rather than strengthen him

I've got a personal request for you.
In a moment, I'm going to ask you to chip in to support my work.
Please let me explain:
This is Adam Schiff.
While families are losing food assistance and health coverage to pay for a tax cut for the ultrawealthy,
Trump reported $2.3 billion in income last year
— more than triple what he made before taking office.
And he's spending your tax dollars on a ballroom,
paving over the rose garden,

Chip in to Adam Schiff
Support Adam Schiff’s work to defend our democracy!