The Civil Heretic

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 Fed Chair Jerome Powell warns US national debt is growing "substantially" faster than the economy and says it's not sustainable. "It will not end well if we don't do something fairly soon."

Notice anything? March 2 Objectives 1: Destroy Iran's missile capabilities 2: Annihilate its navy 3: Ensure it never obtains a nuclear weapon 4: Ensure it can't use its proxies March 20 Objectives 1: Degrade Iran's missile capabilities 2: Destroy its defense industrial base 3: Eliminate its navy and air force 4: Ensure it never gets close to nuclear capability 5: Protect Middle East allies March 30 Objectives 1: Destroy Iran's air force 2: Destroy its navy 3: Severely diminish its missile launching capability 4: Destroy its factories

SECRETARY RUBIO: Here are the clear objectives of the operation. You should write them down: 1. The destruction of Iran’s air force 2. The destruction of their navy 3. The severe diminishing of their missile launching capability 4. The destruction of their factories 🎯

"This isn't what I voted for." "We were so stupid." "MAGA is dead." I always ask the same question, and I really do want to hear a response: how did you not see this coming? Trump is the same man he's always been, and it was clear decades before he came down the escalator. ⬇️ Nearly every bit of Donald Trump's life was exposed in newspapers, magazines, and interviews throughout the 1980s and 1990s, precisely because he so eagerly sought the spotlight. This is the man who was told by his father, "You are a king...you are a killer" and modeled his life on that maxim. This is the man who was already known as a bully in military school, constantly seeking to dominate others. This is the man mentored by Roy Cohn, one of the most despicable figures in American history. This is the man who radically transformed his father's low-cost housing empire simply because he was so desperate to be accepted by New York's high society. This is the man who inherited millions directly and through tax loopholes. This is the man who nearly drove that empire into the ground multiple times. This is the man so starved for attention that he created a fictitious persona to lie to the media. This is the man who bragged about his wealth, his looks, his power, and his connections to anyone who would listen. This is the man whose lawyer once described him in these stark terms: "Donald is a believer in the big-lie theory. If you say something again and again, people will believe you." This is the man who cheated on every one of his wives, spurring his mother to ask "What kind of son have I created?" and his son to yell "You don’t love us! You don’t even love yourself. You just love your money." This is the man who was best friends with Jeffrey Epstein and bragged on radio about his sexual conquests. This is the man who said you have to "treat 'em [women] like shit." This is the man who filed six bankruptcies, was constantly fined for regulatory violations, and launched dozens of failed ventures. This is the man who defaulted on multiple loans and bonds, and had to be bailed out by his banks twice. This is the man who was near financial ruin before being saved by the creators of a "reality" TV show who openly admitted they "created a false narrative by making him seem more successful than he was." This is the man who told us who he is in his own words. "We think we're civilized... In truth, it's a cruel world and people are ruthless." "Power corrupts... I know what sells and I know what people want." "I play to people's fantasies." "I like money... I've always been greedy. I love money, right?" This is a man who first sought the presidency in 2000 and ridiculed his opponent's America First platform as "dangerous," his opposition to immigration as racist, and his tariff policy as as a "tariff-heavy fantasy." This is the man who then adopted that same platform years later. This is the man who stood in front of a crowd in 2016 and claimed that "I'm the only one... I alone can fix it." This is the man he has always been. He is the man you voted for, supported, cheered and defended. This is the man you chose to see as an outsider, as a warrior who would fight against the very corruption and elitism that he's embraced his entire life. And now he is the man you're finally beginning to see clearly. If more had opened their eyes earlier, perhaps our country would be in a better place. So I ask again: how did you not see this coming?

People forget that we lost a lot more people to TDS than to Covid.

Trump in the News: A Mega Thread "I didn't think it would be like this." Every time I hear someone say that about Trump, I have to ask: how could you have not known? Trump has clearly shown us exactly what kind of person he is for decades. This is just some of that history.

Don't feed the trolls. When I created this account, I spent an inordinate amount of time debating with people who disregard presented evidence, respond with insults and genetic fallacies, and shift the goalposts. I stopped for one simple reason: it doesn't change anything. ⬇️ Divisions in the United States have widened to such a degree that people on both sides of the "conservative" and "liberal" spectrum have woven their political and social beliefs into their very identities. Arguing against those beliefs, from that perspective, amounts to a perceived attack on them. While this certainly isn't new, it has become exacerbated by the depth of animosity between Republicans and Democrats. In the past some common ground could be found on particular issues. That's no longer the case. Now virtually every position represents a battleground, and the two sides refuse to give one inch. This is precisely why I've simply begun blocking those who demonstrate that they're so entrenched in their views that they refuse to engage by grappling with other perspectives. Research consistently demonstrates this it simply will not work. Rather, I gravitate toward those in the middle like myself who may have strong feelings on a range of topics, but are still open to debate. More importantly, they don't interpret disagreement as a personal attack and are potentially willing to change their minds. Are you engaging in good faith? If you find yourself being dragged into tit-for-tat arguments that descend into endless bickering, perhaps consider stepping back. Present the evidence, make it clear that insults won't work, and block the trolls. You're not going to change their minds regardless. And if you are the one consistently responding to presented facts and data with insults, memes, and rationalizations, perhaps consider that it's not a matter of debating the evidence anymore. It has become a means of protecting your identity.

Just a random memory from Desert Storm: we bombed the hell out of the Iraqi military for around a month. On the first day of ground operations, the vast majority of them immediately surrendered. The enemy talks a lot of shit, but in the end they're all human.