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Tom Nichols
@RadioFreeTom
, 7 tweets, 2 min read Read on Twitter
Because I have to go back to work, grade papers, and watch @Counterpart_STZ , I'm going to leave you with three songs that will tell you why I find the "America is in free fall and it's never been this bad" argument so boring and tiresome: because I've heard it before. /1
Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back
- Springsteen 1984
/2
Four hundred empty acres that used to be my farm
I grew up like my daddy did my grandpa cleared this land
This land fed a nation this land made me proud
And son I'm just sorry there's no legacy for you now
- Mellencamp 1985
/3
A dance to the tune of economic decline
Is when you do the bottom line
Nagging questions always remain
Why did it happen and who was to blame?
All of the States and over UK
Even the Soviets are swinging away
-Big Audio Dynamite (Mick Jones), 1985
/4
I could add many others. Because the mid-1980s were THE WORST EVER AND WE'RE TOTALLY OVER AND THIS IS REALLY THE END WHERE WE ALL STARVE AND DIE and blah blah blah. This is the time people now point to as "if only we could get back there."
/5
Maybe - just maybe - bitching about inequality and feeling screwed by The Man is just part of life in a democracy. Save your @ about how THIS TIME IS REALLY, REALLY DIFFERENT. I was in DC in the mid-80s when I was surrounded by people saying BUT THIS TIME IT'S DIFFERENT. /6
Sure. It's different. It's not quite as bad. Deindustrialization was still a pretty fresh wound in 1984. But I'm thinking that 35 years later, if the song is the same, and only the singers are changing, maybe it's just a popular song in every era. /7x
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More from @RadioFreeTom see all

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Tom Nichols
@RadioFreeTom
Sure. Look out your window.
Then go to the supermarket and buy some fresh fruit in the dead of winter.
Then get on a plane and go wherever you'd like.
Transfer some money on your smartphone and use an ATM when you get where you're going. /1
And if your kids are worried about you, send them an email on your phone or laptop.
Then Uber it back to the airport.
Then go home in get in a car that would be considered a luxury vehicle full of miracles just 30 years ago.
Then watch one of the 100+ plus chans on your TV. /2
Meanwhile, if you don't feel well, take one of the 300,000 perfectly safe meds Westerners take every day.
Then turn up the heat in your house, which might be from any number of sources.
First, pick up a bag of perfectly safe food and beverages from around the world. /3
Read 4 tweets
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Tom Nichols
@RadioFreeTom
Saw @EvanMcMullin talking with @CNN about third party candidates, and since I am avoiding grading exams, here's an amplification on the question of whether Howard Schultz will run: he can only help Trump, except under one circumstance. /1
For a third-party candidate to hurt Trump, the Democratic party's candidate would have to be so unacceptable, so off the wall, so horrifying, that a coalition of *most* Democrats and *enough* Republicans would join forces to push that candidate over 270. /2
The Republican base is not going to abandon Trump. He's almost a certain loser against any competent Democrat (important caveat, I know), but a third party candidate can *only* shear off votes from Dems, unless the Dem nominee is worse than Trump. And that's not gonna happen. /3
Read 5 tweets
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Tom Nichols
@RadioFreeTom
The religious right long ago decided that opposition to abortion is the way they can declare every election to be a Flight 93 election, but as this article shows, that's a relatively recent (late 70s) innovation and pivot so they could get away from having to talk about race. /1
And before a gaggle of ignorant scolds show up to tell me "THIS WAS ALWAYS THE GOP," the Reps knew they had an evangelical problem even in the early 80s, when evangelicals were unhappy with - wait for it - Reagan. The GOP is a coalition, and these guys were always a problem. /2
Northern moderates like me coexisted with evangelicals because that's the nature of a coalition, but as the base shrinks, the evangelicals are more dominant, and there's no room in the GOP for us any longer. (Or in the Democratic Party, either, but that's a different problem.) /3
Read 4 tweets

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Richard de Nooy
@RicharddeNooy
The great horror of this age is that we know so much, but are still as incapable as ever. How do we stop this madness? What purpose does it serve?
Because I don’t have any better ideas on how to stop this horror, I’d like to retain your attention with an account of another famine, which took place just 75 years ago in Amsterdam and other Dutch cities during the Hunger Winter of 1944-’45.
At the time, my grandparents were running a drugstore in Amsterdam West, which meant they had it pretty easy compared to most other people, because they had plenty to trade in exchange for food, when their money proved to be inedible.
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Tessa
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Shane is fangirling about meeting Rebekah and Kol, the Original vampires, and bragging about not being able to be compelled. Then Bex tells Kol to beat the location of the cure out of him. Lol. Imagine meeting your idols and they beat the shit out of you.
Back to this. "Truth or dare, Elena?"
"Dare." Damn that's brave.
"I dare you to tell Stefan the truth about Damon."
Sweetie, that's truth not dare, but I am here for this.
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Bex is being really childish though
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maya 🍡(Yoonmin au) yoonmin are smol
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***

'You didnt know?'

'I didn't know, Sir.' Taehyung answers shortly.

The alpha writes something down in the report.

'The thing is that no matter if it will be an omega or alpha the unborn baby is the descendant of Mins. You have to be punished for what you've done.'
Taehyung doesn't avert his eyes from the floor. He knew he'll end up in prison.

'You're relegated to the city's Omega Center. Your position as a commander of Omega Landfill will be taken over by alpha Lee.'
Taehyung's eyes go wide as he stares at the older in shock.

'You can't fire me..' he mumbles but its all in vain.

There's no way to get his job back.

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Fran Wilde
@fran_wilde
Tell me how we went from "getting rid of corruption in DC" to "here is a gulag with my portrait and an inspirational quote" and the head of the GOP is actually saying all must get behind the greatness of it.

There is no greatness left. It's been sold. Only celebrity despotism.
The answer isn't "because liberals were mean and are getting what's coming to them." The answer isn't "because you wouldn't date that boy who liked you".

The answer: America is consciously & in some cases enthusiastically choosing to slide into hell and the press is helping.
The answer: America keeps reaching points where we say "this will not stand" & then we have to go back to work to keep our healthcare - if we have it - so we don't die.

The answer: our leaders aren't leading. They say it's the next generation's fault and then we blame avocados
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Drew Schuster
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I don't really tend to share much personal stuff online these days, but for the last ~9 months I've had some pretty rough health issues and it sort of felt weird to not acknowledge it in some way.
(first, checking my privilege: cishet white male, good health insurance, high paying tech job where I can work from home frequently, health issues are not terminal)
(second, please no advice for a cure or treatment or something that worked for you or a friend. I've got a treatment I'm working on, and it will take some time. I haven't had gluten since August 2017, don't @ me.)
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Momo ✌️
@Momopichu
Before I lose the idea. R76 and wax museum challenge.
I'm thinking Jack as a journalist, challenged to do the "one night in a wax museum" thing. (Since he lost a bet in his journalist company).

His boss wants a segment of his experience or something so Jack takes a vid camera, sleeping bag, notebooks and some necessities
His bet requires him to set up in the 'murderers' section for maximum fear factor and what not. Jack admits he's a little scared cause everything looks so real.

One of the statues is a guy called Gabriel Reyes. The story was that he murdered people around the city.
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