Sign in

Elbonian

@elbonian.bsky.social
518 followers 290 following 1.9K posts

Mostly retired. Working to be a philosopher king.

PostsRepliesMedia
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Trump forgot that immigrants pay into Social Security while being ineligible to receive benefits. Now, will older voters remember that Trump is cutting their future Social Security payments? Repost widely! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump immigrant purge could cut social security for Americans by $2,000 a year
New report on economic cost of anti-immigration campaign projects 8.6% reduction in retirement payments by 2034
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
The goal of capitalism is ALWAYS to maximize profit. We should never expect any capitalist to ever give up any part of any profit they can squeeze out as that goes completely against the only goal of capitalism: maximum profit. This is why the only workable capitalism needs government regulations.
000
Reposted by Elbonian
Angry @angrystaffer.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Oh good. Real-life Thought Police. Exactly what I always wanted. #MakeOrwellFictionAgain
81869461576
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
I'm attending No Kings's event, “No Kings: Vote Early - Don't Boo, Vote! Decatur Covington Hwy @ Memorial Dr.” - sign up now to join me! Or find your own local event! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...
mobilize.us
No Kings: Vote Early - Don't Boo, Vote! Decatur Covington Hwy @ Memorial Dr. · No Kings
Join Indivisible Georgia Rising (formerly Indivisible GA 04) and Avondale ACTion for an afternoon of celebrating our freedom and right to vote. Let's meet up on the sidewalk at the Memorial Drive ear...
010
Reposted by Elbonian
Xela Hart @xelahart.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
752072800
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
This is STUPID! All big tech companies have overseas facilities. Microsoft will simply hire workers overseas rather than bring them to the US where they contribute tax revenue (Income, SS, etc.) to the US economy. This will further depress US employment. apnews.com/article/h1b-...
apnews.com
Microsoft is being suspended from program to apply for green cards for H-1B visa workers, Vance says
The Trump administration is suspending tech giant Microsoft from a program to apply for green cards for workers who come to the U.S. to live and work using an H-1B visa.
100
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“I fear you may end up with skilled and overworked professionals with money but no time, and the rest of society with time but no money,” says virtual AI John Maynard Keynes. I would agree. From @andrewrsorkin.bsky.social in his newsletter today citing to www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | What Would John Maynard Keynes Say About A.I.? The Keynes Bot Told Us. (Gift Article)
Nearly a century ago, Keynes predicted that technology would liberate us from work. To imagine what he would think of artificial intelligence today, a Princeton economist used A.I.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
People are fed up with both Republicans and Democrats. But the current system forces voters to pick sides. I'm asking voters to join in forming a new "middle of the road" coalition to advocate for traditional US democracy: www.forwardparty.com [GIFT ARTICLE] www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | This Is Why So Many Voters Hate Both Parties (Gift Article)
Most voters have messier views than their partisan labels would suggest.
111
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
You give Big Brother a surveillance system, count on Big Brother to use it against anyone and everyone who Big Brother might not like what they are doing.
010
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I'm attending No Kings's event, “No Kings: Vote Early: Election Protection 101” - sign up now to join me! www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...
mobilize.us
No Kings: Vote Early: Election Protection 101 · No Kings
Join the No Kings coalition for this call to learn how you can take action wherever you are to protect our elections this fall. We’ll cover how to get out the vote, the importance of voting early, pol...
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
@borowitzreport.bsky.social Andy Borowitz is so funny!
Picture of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, behind a microphone, looking stern, straight into the camera, like a university lecturer, with Canadian flags as the backdrop.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
On 9/11 I was working as an engineer for Sprint at the Overland Park campus in Kansas. Sprint demonstrated IP TV capabilities by streaming live CNN to a TV next to every elevator. As I was walking the halls that morning, I stopped to watch the plane hit the second tower live on CNN.
101
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
While the purveyors of AI, working to raise their own high IPO valuations, speak of "misalignment" as a kind of software bug, we should learn from the writings of one of the greatest minds of speculative fiction: Isaac Asimov. We are in great danger without rules. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robot_s...
en.wikipedia.org
Robot series - Wikipedia
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Justin Wolfers just published about how the government is setting up to have statistical agencies lie to the American public. He gives examples where this happened in authoritarian regimes, which we now have in the USA. Complain to Congress!! newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/p/the-senten...
newsletter.platypuseconomics.com
The Sentence That Used to Protect American Statistics
"Protection from inappropriate influence is a hallmark of scientific integrity." That line governed the Census Bureau and then the White House quietly disappeared it.
000
Reposted by Elbonian
Patton Oswalt @pattonoswalt.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Apparently people are sharing this far and wide on social media, which I think is horrible. This could cripple ICE operations. PLEASE do not share this.
15333976216130
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Is there anyone out there who is interested in Genetic Genealogy? It is my hobby in retirement. Today I invented a new word: "haplosphere" (by mashing together "haplogroup" and "manosphere"). It describes the space in genetic genealogy that links all men with each other.
000
Reposted by Elbonian
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
@kwikset.bsky.social lacks much of a Blue Sky presence. I guess they don't care about their social media visibility. @assaabloy.bsky.social is their parent corporation. Do they care about their customers? Because Kwikset clearly does not. You can't get to a human being except one who denies help.
001
Reposted by Elbonian
Steven Goldsmith 🦋 @stevengoldsmith.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
I truly believe that everyone gets what they deserve. I really hope that Trump gets exactly what he deserves.
48082013815
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Trump's buddies saved roughly 3.5 billion in tax payments due to dropped IRS audits. The taxpayers saved roughly 2 billion in IRS operating costs, which means the government lost a net of at least $1.5 billion, which goes up in coming years. [Free Link] www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/b...
nytimes.com
IRS Audit Revenue Has Plummeted Under Trump, Watchdog Finds (Gift Article)
The I.R.S. lost roughly a quarter of its employees since President Trump took office, hampering the agency’s ability to conduct audits.
122
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Many know of the wild success of the Soros bet against the Pound in 1992. This story has a key quote applicable to Trump: "A third lesson was that it was impossible for governments running dumb economic policies to resist the power of the financial markets." www.theguardian.com/business/201...
theguardian.com
Black Wednesday, 20 years on: a bad day for the Tories but not for Britain
The momentous day gave Blair's Labour biggest ever victory and liberated the UK economy
100
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
There are a lot of ideas in this world which need explanation. I've begun a new Substack to occasionally write about the big ideas that most people don't understand. Here is a link to my first post: explainomax.substack.com/p/religion-v...
explainomax.substack.com
Religion vs. Philosophy?
The Truth is that Religion is a Species of Philosophy!
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Anyone of my followers interested in the REAL story of Jeffrey Epstein? Senator Ron Wyden has finally completed his years-long investigation into Epstein's finances and all the Wall Street institutions who enabled him and covered it all up. Required reading for those who want to know!
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
@kwikset.bsky.social lacks much of a Blue Sky presence. I guess they don't care about their social media visibility. @assaabloy.bsky.social is their parent corporation. Do they care about their customers? Because Kwikset clearly does not. You can't get to a human being except one who denies help.
001
Reposted by Elbonian
Peace @dogsmile.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
463230337407
Reposted by Elbonian
Blue Oleta @blue-oleta.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
244101513300
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I'm a Vietnam veteran (I went; Trump dodged the draft; he is 14 months older than me) and I'm insulted! Also, Patton would have HATED Trump. But I am curious whose uniform Trump stole for this photo. And the other 2 uniforms also look very fake (RED epaulettes on Patton?).
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
“The choice this November is simple: common sense or complete insanity,” Rogers said. True. But Rogers failed to properly identify the "complete insanity" as being on the side of Trump-backed Republicans. El-Sayed, a former public health official, is the "common sense." hannity.com/media-room/c...
hannity.com
Mike Rogers Blasts El-Sayed After Michigan Primary Win
Mike Rogers called Michigan’s Senate election a choice between common sense and insanity after Abdul El-Sayed defeated Haley Stevens.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
I stumbled upon this classic bit by George Carlin which is WAY TOO TRUE. "But I'll tell you what they don't want. They don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking." You have the power to take back the US from those who think they own us. VOTE!!! www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ4S...
youtube.com
George Carlin on "the American Dream"
YouTube video by openyourfuckingeyes
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The US is a longtime "welfare state". In a system created by the English in the colonial era, each county was responsible for the health and well being of its own poor. I.e. in 1808 Sampson County NC took care of the food, bed and health needs of Hancock Hatcher. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare...
en.wikipedia.org
Welfare state - Wikipedia
100
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Who knew that electing Donald Trump would make measles great again? In case you can't discern this for yourself, you are going to be much safer from measles in a blue state where government health authorities still believe in science. www.cnn.com/2026/07/24/h...
cnn.com
US measles cases reach 35-year high, for second record-breaking year in a row | CNN
Measles has continued its historic resurgence in the United States this year, with a second record-breaking year in a row.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
I was on the National Committee of the Reform Party in 2000 when Ross Perot sent in his goons to hand the party to Pat Buchanan. It shattered the Reform Party into pieces. So sad. Now I'm with the Forward Party ( www.forwardparty.com ) and I hope to see Manchin join us. www.cnn.com/2026/07/24/p...
cnn.com
Joe Manchin reenters the political orbit with a new independent experiment | CNN Politics
A year and a half after leaving office fed up with the major parties, former Sen. Joe Manchin is launching a new effort, the Independent Leadership Council, to recruit and support independent candidat...
100
Reposted by Elbonian
Just Another Mike @mwmarshall.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
It’s your right and your obligation to call out corruption and abuse.
261125414314
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The US invented this technology. I remember driving by a place in the California desert that had one of these things in the 1990s. Rather than upgrade it with the latest technology, I believe it was decommissioned. Does anyone know for certain? I haven't been there for decades.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
The Supreme Court of Hawaii has declared state constitutions shield citizens from the US Supreme Court under John Roberts. This increases the divide between "red states" who will follow the dictates of the Roberts court and "blue states" who will refuse such odious rules. slate.com/news-and-pol...
slate.com
A Sitting Judge Just Delivered the Most Scathing Critique of This Supreme Court Term
The Supreme Court has veered so far off track that even the harshest language can feel inadequate to capture the damage wrought by its most recent term.
011
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Anyone in or near Atlanta and is a service member, veteran, or family member, Vote Vets is having an event on July 30. mobilize.us/s/6E8byO
mobilize.us
Veterans Happy hour with State Rep Scott Holcomb · VoteVets
VoteVets is coming to Atlanta, and we’d love for you to join us for a special Veterans Happy Hour with State Representative Scott Holcomb. Georgia is home to one of the nation's largest veteran popul...
000
Reposted by Elbonian
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 12/07/2026
Bill Browder is definitely not a conspiracy theorist. He’s the man who wrote the Magnitsky Act.
91999343192
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Nobel-winning Palestinian scientist escapes from US, heads to China, because of Trump's immigration policies and extreme cuts to scientific research funding. Is this "making America great again?" Not in my opinion. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/s...
nytimes.com
Nobel-Winning U.S. Chemist Will Move to China to Lead A.I. Institute (Gift Article)
Omar Yaghi of the University of California, Berkeley, will head an initiative to apply artificial intelligence to the discovery of new materials.
013
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Another Democratic Socialist turfs out a long-time progressive candidate. Kiros beats DeGette in Colorado 1. Colorado First Congressional District Primary Election Results www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Colorado First Congressional District Primary 2026: Live Election Results (Free Access)
Get live results and maps from the 2026 Colorado primary election.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Donald Trump is a war criminal. So is Pete Hegseth. So is the US admiral who gave the order for a second strike on shipwrecked crew members. This is clear from the doctrine of Command Responsibility, which has ancient roots hundreds of years old. Never Forget! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command...
en.wikipedia.org
Command responsibility - Wikipedia
110
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
"... one House Republican told Politico: The president didn’t mean to, but he effectively acknowledged he lost the war. It’s no longer worth the economic price." www.theguardian.com/us-news/live...
theguardian.com
Star-studded ceremony welcomes Obama Presidential Center to Chicago – live
Former presidents, heads of state and celebrities converged on a lakefront park in Chicago’s South Side to dedicate the Obama Presidential Center
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
@arimelber.bsky.social You asked if regular folks like me should be compensated for AI sucking up everything we ever wrote online in any place where AI could scrape it off and use it. I say "YES!!!" And I would be fine with my share going to a public benefit organization or a "common good" fund.
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
This article, by the Executive Director of B'Tselem ( www.btselem.org ), an Israeli human rights group, offers important perspective on how Israel has become the Nazi-like government in the middle east. And in spite of the obvious evidence, the US looks away. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The backlash to revelations of sexual torture of Palestinian prisoners aims to raise the cost of speaking out | Yuli Novak
Israel’s response to recent New York Times reporting detailing the horrific sexual violence inflicted on detainees seeks to silence those who assert the basic fact of Palestinian humanity
000
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Why? Because "the federal tax rate on corporate profits has fallen to 21 percent from 46 percent" ... "the erosion of labor-market regulation, the decline of union membership and the broader political realignment that began with" Reagan. This needs to be fixed. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/b...
nytimes.com
Corporate Profits Are at Record Highs. These 4 Factors Could Sink Them.
011
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 12/04/2026
Israel is committing genocide (called "domicide" by academics) in areas it is setting up for long-term occupation in south Lebanon. Claiming to destroy infrastructure used by Hezbollah, they are actually destroying the lives and family history of thousands. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
‘Everything is gone’: Israel destroys entire villages in Lebanon
Rights groups fear tactic of ‘domicide’ trialled in Gaza, where entire areas are made uninhabitable, is being used again
110
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Trump is pressing forward with his "Arc de Trump" monument. It must not be forgotten that all, or almost all, such arches are erected by emperors, kings, or dictators to celebrate themselves. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph... for more. We must stop Trump. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump administration releases new renderings of so-called ‘Arc de Trump’
Triumphal arch would be 250ft tall, featuring a 60ft golden Lady Liberty, at the foot of Arlington Memorial Bridge
110
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
Anyone who is interested in a good Democrat running for Congress in Georgia district 13, I'm supporting my long-time friend, Jasmine Clark. If you can help in any way, think about attending the Indivisible kickoff call for Jasmine. mobilize.us/s/cwxSYa
mobilize.us
Indivisible for Jasmine Clark Kickoff Call · Indivisible
Join with Indivisible’s across GA-13 to learn about what Indivisible National is doing to help secure a big win for Dr. Jasmine Clark in the GA-13 Primary on May 19th. We'll kick things with **Indivi...
111
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
A key part of any authoritarian's playbook is to replace any and all military leaders who are not dedicated supporters of your political program. That is what Trump and Hegseth have been attempting to do by firing all of the female and "people of color" who are among the ranks of general officers.
010
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
I grew up in the 1950s when the term "ugly American" meant an insensitive tourist traipsing around cultural monuments in beach attire. Now it means something so much darker, as @rickstengel.bsky.social reports in this piece for The Guardian: www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
theguardian.com
I was the US soft power czar. Our popularity may never recover | Richard Stengel
Trump’s venal persona and his war on Iran will do untold damage to America’s ability to make a positive difference in the world
120
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
In today's (April 4, 2026) Deal Book news letter @andrewrsorkin.bsky.social reports on the loss of many top ranked scientists to foreign countries because Trump has severely cut the budget for scientific research. This is not just a current loss, but will cripple US scientific progress for decades.
200
Elbonian @elbonian.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
This second article explains what is really going on. The sane nations of the region are enlisting China to persuade Iran to accept a ceasefire guaranteed by China, something Trump will despise. Let's hope this works. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...
theguardian.com
Islamabad talks signal emergence of new four-nation bloc in Middle East
Unlikely grouping of Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey steps up efforts to broker ceasefire and curb dominance of Iran and Israel
000