AOC ’28 Starts Now by Jeb Lund

Much as I want to despair at the steady barrage of heinous actions predictably perpetrated by the nation’s top elected felon and his coterie of proudly vicious hangers-on, there’s a part of me that realizes that the correct action is to move forward with an eye towards the change that’s needed to fix the horrible damage. As the majority of Democratic party proves they are preternaturally unable to meet this dire moment, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of the only people in an position of authority who is responding with the correct level of outrage and commitment to opposing the current presidential administrations transgressions against decency and longstanding, valuable norms. Writing for truthdig, Jeb Lund makes that argument and actively advocates for the congresswoman as the worthiest candidate for the highest office in the land. I wholeheartedly agree. I’m ready to hammer the AOC ’28 sign into my yard today

I’m just going to say that AOC is the acting leader of the Democratic Party until someone proves otherwise. At least insofar as she is responding to the moment with leadership.

— Matt Browner Hamlin (@mattbh.com) 2025-01-21T00:19:12.526Z

The Land of Greater Fools by Hamilton Nolan

Writing for his own Substack, Hamilton Nolan is unforgiving of all the people who are bringing any amount of appeasement to the return of an astoundingly corrupt, proudly bigoted, and broadly ignorant individual to the White House. Better yet, he correctly identifies all the mewling talk of finding common ground and coaxing the lifelong criminal towards better decisions as the strategies of pure rubes. That goes for the members of both political parties and most of the media.

Poetry Foundation not fucking around with today's poem of the daywww.poetryfoundation.org/poems/89897/…

— Petrana Radulovic (@petrana.bsky.social) 2025-01-20T15:08:31.340Z

I Prosecuted the Capitol Rioters. They Have Never Been More Dangerous. by Brendan Ballou

Brendan Ballou recently resigned from the U.S. Department of Justice, so he understands the depths of depravity of the criminally convicted January 6th rioters better than most. In response to the shameful pardons issued this week, Ballou strenuously argues why that executive action was wrong and how it is likely to further embolden people who are already inclined towards violence and other horrendous acts. From here on in, the Republicans have no business ever again referring to themselves as the party of law and order. This piece was published by The New York Times.

‘We surpassed human limits to stop this’: LA megafires show our approach to fire needs to change by Hilary Beaumont

The harrowing truth of the recent Los Angeles wildfires is summarized in the quote chosen for this headline. The longer quote is: “The problem is we surpassed our human limits to prevent or put out all wildfires, particularly during these extreme wind-driven weather events that have a link to climate change. We surpassed our human limits to stop this.” As opportunistic politicians line up to lay blame for the disaster on their favored social ill or governmental shortcoming, know that the real story is that environmental neglect, including that which is driving the devastating effects of climate change, is what has really created this point in time where fires and storms and rising waters are more formidable than our capacity to address them. It really is as plain and simple as that. Hilary Beaumont wrote this shrewdly reported piece for The Guardian.