Tim Longman

Amanda Marcotte @amandamarcotte.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 29, 2024 at 13:12 UTC

The fascist's best friend is cynicism. When good people believe "they're all corrupt anyway," they peace out of politics, allowing fascists to take over. To win, Trump doesn't need to convince more people to vote for him. He just needs to convince them not to vote. Biden is helping.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 22:31 UTC

I'm seeing lots of folks here attacking the NYT for suggesting Biden should step aside, but honestly, my 93-year-old left-leaning mother just told me the same thing after watching the debate. There are no easy solutions, but let's not pretend that this is not a crisis.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 22:25 UTC

Kenya had a vibrant democracy for a while, then candidates used ICC prosecutions to claim legal persecution and help them win. Once in office, they used laws to limit NGOs and the press, harass opposition. But honestly still less authoritarian than what Trump is calling for.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 22:21 UTC

Last week of summer class. Does it count as celebrating if you drink while grading finals?

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 28, 2024 at 16:08 UTC

This was ... not a great day for American democracy.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 27, 2024 at 02:07 UTC

Don’t tell me that it doesn’t matter who occupies the White House.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 26, 2024 at 14:51 UTC

I'm surprised they didn't have Justice Thomas write this decision, since he could have drawn on so much personal experience to defend corruption. 🙄

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 21, 2024 at 18:28 UTC

Such a good moral example for all of us. Not just a murderer, not just a right wing bit job, but a SELFISH murdering right wing nut job!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 14, 2024 at 17:29 UTC

So much for the right to life this Supreme Court pretends to support.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 12, 2024 at 02:02 UTC

In 4th grade, I had to perform the song “Tout les Garçons et les Filles” for the Société Française in Peoria. I sang the duet with an 8th grader from memory. Seeing that Françoise Hardy died today brings this song back to mind. I still know every word (even though I didn’t understand them then)!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 09, 2024 at 17:59 UTC

And totally I agree that grace is necessary. But I also believe that repentance is an important concept as well that is largely absent. (That’s why I appreciate Max Boot for recognizing his contributions to the radical right).

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 09, 2024 at 17:31 UTC

I don’t even think it necessary to give up conservative theology. There are great models for those who read the Bible literally and are called to progressive action, from Sojourners to Jimmy Carter to William Barber.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 09, 2024 at 15:12 UTC

French, like other Never Trump conservative commentators (cf, David Brooks, Bill Kristol, etc.), fails to connect his own agenda to the extremism we're facing today. The fact that it took personal experience of racism to wake up to its reality and start caring says a lot.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 09, 2024 at 00:07 UTC

And now she regrets her article not because the argument was hateful and full of shit but because Dolly Parton is so popular that it led to a backlash. Guess what, Ericka Anderson, no matter who you choose to denounce for supporting the LGBTQ community, you still suck. And not in the good way.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 09, 2024 at 00:04 UTC

I see the Federalist going full fascist for Pride. How screwed up is someone’s world view and faith to see loving people for who they are as destructive and see condemning and excluding LGBTQ folk as somehow holy? To pretend this is a Biblical view proves the author hasn’t understood the Bible.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 04, 2024 at 15:33 UTC

Where are the Democratic leaders lining up outside court to denounce Hunter Biden's prosecution as political like the GOP did for Trump? Oh yes, Democrats still believe in rule of law and are mostly shrugging and saying, let the legal system do its work.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 02, 2024 at 12:43 UTC

Well put. Yeah, Zuma is definitely not someone to trust or give more power. And EFF could be interesting if not for Malema. You’d think someone would come up with a reasonable alternative to the ANC. But the story of COPE a decade ago shows it’s not so easy.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 02, 2024 at 12:09 UTC

I do wish the DA could become a reasonable alternative, but they seem determined to make stupid decisions over and over and just can’t seem to get their minds around South Africa’s racial reality.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Jun 02, 2024 at 11:44 UTC

I understand that the Post is concerned that neither MK or EFF is a great potential partner, but a move to the center would NOT respect the concerns of South African voters. The ANC needs to address unemployment, persistent poverty, service delivery, not just the middle class issue crime.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 31, 2024 at 00:05 UTC

And here I was concerned that Trump might not use his conviction as a fundraising opportunity…

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 30, 2024 at 21:21 UTC

I, too, am a very innocent man!!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 30, 2024 at 21:11 UTC

Well, well, well…

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 30, 2024 at 21:06 UTC

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 30, 2024 at 20:59 UTC

Okay, so yes I have turned the TV news on…

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 21, 2024 at 21:56 UTC

Mitch McConnell tells Americans to leave the Supreme Court alone. Irony is dead.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 11, 2024 at 16:31 UTC

I'm amazed how much even progressive politicians like Boston mayor Wu and Mass governor Healey are supporting police crackdowns. It feels like the political class has no idea what is really going on on campuses and what is motivating students.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 11, 2024 at 16:29 UTC

Have we reached consensus about why university administrations are coming down so hard on peaceful protests? Is it that they're listening to large donors who are opposed to the protests? Clearly they're out of touch with their students and faculty and must be listening to someone else.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 08, 2024 at 13:47 UTC

So, can we assume that the worms are still alive in Trump’s brain? Because that would explain a lot!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 02, 2024 at 20:59 UTC

If "order must prevail," then why doesn't Biden ask the police to stop sowing chaos in the midst of peaceful demonstrations? If protesters are harassing people, then police should provide protection. But at the moment, it's the police who are causing disorder. Stop pretending otherwise!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] May 01, 2024 at 11:45 UTC

I realized as they were showing videos of the police action at Columbia yesterday that the semester I taught African politics there, my class met in Hamilton Hall, the building the protesters occupied. I had no idea of the building’s history as a site of protest.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 28, 2024 at 16:56 UTC

A colleague who has been teaching for 40 years approached me last week to ask what to do about the explosion of students claiming mental health crises. “I try to be sympathetic,” he said, “but it’s gotten out of hand.” I had no good answers on how to respond.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 27, 2024 at 17:08 UTC

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 27, 2024 at 17:08 UTC

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 27, 2024 at 17:08 UTC

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 27, 2024 at 17:03 UTC

This is on target. We should absolutely condemn antisemitism on the left, but honestly the greater threat comes from the right. And regardless of how we feel about the current student protests, the crackdown against them is dangerous.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:23 UTC

My point is that protest is fundamental to democracy and has been persistent on college campuses, because this is where new ideas are developed and moral causes see their start.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 19:11 UTC

Looks like absolute chaos! Clearly politicians are not exaggerating when they claim our campuses are burning!! 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:34 UTC

Sometimes. Definitely a born politician. But serving only one term in Congress demonstrates some limitations!

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:29 UTC

The violence used to shut down peaceful encampments and the use of arrests and campus bans and other punishments are creating far more public disturbance than the protests while sadly doing nothing to fight antisemitism or protect Jewish or Israeli students.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:25 UTC

Whatever ones opinion of the current campus protests (and to be honest, while I am personally horrified by the loss of civilian life in Gaza, I am also troubled by apparent antisemitism among some protesters), the draconian crushing of protests should be troubling.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:23 UTC

My point is that protest is fundamental to democracy and has been persistent on college campuses, because this is where new ideas are developed and moral causes see their start.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:21 UTC

Our protests did not change policy at the UW, but they did help put the issue of gays in the military on the national agenda. This started the process of transforming federal policy and ultimately bringing about the elimination of anti-LGBTQ laws.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:18 UTC

After a week, we decided to intensify our protest by moving to occupy the office of the Board of Regents, on the top floor of the tallest building on campus. That night, campus police forcibly expelled us from the building. There were no arrests.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:17 UTC

At one point, Chancellor Donna Shalala called me and a few other leaders into her office and, among other things, encouraged us to keep pushing her, because it gave her political leverage.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 18:16 UTC

35 years ago, I was part of a group of students who occupied the administration building at UW to protest anti-gay policies in the ROTC. We urged the university to break ties with the US military or at the very least publicly condemn the ROTC's discriminatory policies.

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Tim Longman @timlongman.bsky.social [ View ] Apr 26, 2024 at 13:12 UTC

I've been supportive of Mayor Wu, who has pushed a mostly progressive agenda. I'm baffled why she supported the police attacking a group of students occupying a Boston alley. The right to protest peacefully, whatever the cause, is key for the left.

www.bostonglobe.com/2024/04/25/m...

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