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Flux

@flux.community
421 followers 167 following 112 posts

Flux is a media platform for change, providing in-depth coverage of politics, religion, technology, and media. We're all about empowering independent voices and telling stories that corporate media can't or won't see. Founded by @matthew.flux.community

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Flux @flux.community · 23/09/2026
As Trump ramps up his attacks on America's founding principles and seeks to destroy our most treasured institutions, the conservative Democrat group Third Way thinks that not-even socialists are the bigger threat. This is a dangerous error, @jtccarroll.flux.community writes:
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Third Way “war” on democratic socialism betrays a basic misreading of U.S. politics
An increasingly fascistic Republican Party, not ideas that lie within the continuum of pro-democracy policies, is the true threat to America
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 20/08/2026
I have a new episode of my podcast Theory of Change out today with two former NIH scientists to discuss what scientists are doing to fight back against Trump's attempts to dismantle American science. Patreon: www.patreon.com/discoverflux... Substack: plus.flux.community/p/how-scient...
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How scientists are fighting back against the Trump administration’s attempts to science them | Flux
Sylvia Chou and Alexa Romberg on how scientists are realizing that being apolitical is a luxury belief By Matthew Sheffield Sylvia Chou and
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Flux @flux.community · 05/08/2026
Trump’s Reflecting Pool vendetta became too ridiculous for Jeanine Pirro Despite the dismissal of the charges, this was still an outrageous abuse of power, @jtccarroll.flux.community writes:
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Trump’s Reflecting Pool vendetta became too ridiculous for Jeanine Pirro
The Justice Department's dismissal of laughable charges against a former Olympic athlete shouldn't obscure the basic fact of the president's abuse of power against an innocent man
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Flux @flux.community · 22/07/2026
Corporations have overrun the federal judiciary. In the latest Theory of Change, @profciara.bsky.social joined @matthew.flux.community to talk about political extremism in business communities and how "corporatocracy" works:
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How corporations took over the federal courts
Ciara Torres-Spelliscy on how ‘corporatocracy’ works and why
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Flux @flux.community · 20/07/2026
More ICE killings are the inevitable result of mass deportations rooted in incendiary claims of immigrant invasion @jtccarroll.flux.community on why Democrats mustn't shy away from letting the public know about Trump's dehumanization of immigrants
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Renewed ICE killings are inevitable result of mass deportations rooted in incendiary claims of immigrant invasion
Democrats must pair opposition to ICE lawlessness with unsparing attacks on the GOP's dehumanizing anti-immigrant hatred and propaganda
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Flux @flux.community · 17/07/2026
Trump’s insane elections speech was really about excusing future authoritarianism Bizarre primetime address presented nothing new, but did lay groundwork for censorship and infringing on states’ rights to administer elections
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Trump’s insane elections speech was really about excusing future authoritarianism
Bizarre primetime address presented no evidence, but did lay groundwork for censorship and infringing on states’ rights to administer elections
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Flux @flux.community · 16/07/2026
Do bees have inner lives? New study suggests it’s a possibility Research shows that bees seem to manifest internal states of pleasure and disgust
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Do bees have inner lives? New study suggests it’s a possibility | Flux
Research shows that bees seem to manifest internal states of pleasure and disgust By Andrew Barron It’s easy for us to tell if someone is en
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Jim Carroll @jtccarroll.flux.community · 16/07/2026
My latest at @flux.community: The president's plan to spruce up a tourist attraction has mutated into self-serving claims of anti-American vandalism in the heart of D.C. and over-the-top charges against a sacrificial citizen. 1/x plus.flux.community/p/trumps-ine...
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Trump's inept attempts to ‘fix’ Reflecting Pool only highlight his authoritarian fixations
The president's plan to spruce up a tourist attraction has mutated into self-serving claims of anti-American vandalism in the heart of D.C. and over-the-top charges against a sacrificial citizen
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Flux @flux.community · 14/07/2026
On the latest Theory of Change, @adamgurri.liberalcurrents.com joined @matthew.flux.community for a discussion about the need for a positive liberal vision for America--and how to reform our broken institutions:
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Liberals want Trump gone, but what do they want instead?
Adam Gurri, founder and publisher of Liberal Currents joins to discuss ‘The Reconstruction Papers’
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Flux @flux.community · 13/07/2026
Trump's plan to spruce up a tourist attraction has mutated into self-serving claims of anti-American vandalism in the heart of D.C. and over-the-top charges against a sacrificial citizen. Via @jtccarroll.flux.community:
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Trump's inept attempts to ‘fix’ Reflecting Pool only highlight his authoritarian fixations
The president's plan to spruce up a tourist attraction has mutated into self-serving claims of anti-American vandalism in the heart of D.C. and over-the-top charges against a sacrificial citizen
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Flux @flux.community · 05/07/2026
Beliefs in mind uploading and mechanical immortality are very common within the American tech bro scene. But these are absurd delusions that are not at all supported by biology. We just published a comprehensive rebuttal of this fantasy by biologist and philosopher Johannes Jaeger:
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The myth of mind uploading
Minds are what bodies do
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Flux @flux.community · 04/07/2026
This Independence Day, let's remember that separation of church and state is an all-American idea Freedom of conscience works for everyone—religious as well as non-religious
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Separation of church and state is an all-American idea
Freedom of conscience works for everyone—religious as well as non-religious
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Flux @flux.community · 01/07/2026
Welcome swag for white South African ‘refugees’ reveals blatant racism of Trump’s asylum policy Via @jtccarroll.flux.community:
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Welcome swag for white South African ‘refugees’ shines light on blatant racism of Trump’s asylum policy
The Trump administration plans to provide bespoke gift bags to Afrikaners, including materials that encourage an embrace of white supremacy as the ideal way to assimilate into American society
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 30/06/2026
A politics of powerful love is the only one that can defeat fascism w/o violence. The real divide now is between those who will fight for democracy, and those who will twiddle their thumbs. Voters do not choose based on obscure policy debates, so we must shelve them until the fascists are crushed.
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 30/06/2026
My latest: Thousands of people think their favorite chatbot has a soul, but why does no one ever say the same about Midjourney? Finally finished my essay debunking false beliefs in chatbot consciousness. Please share if you could: plus.flux.community/p/large-lang...
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Flux @flux.community · 30/06/2026
Large language models and the textual nude Thousands of people think their favorite chatbot has a soul, but why does no one ever say the same about Midjourney? New via @matthew.flux.community:
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Large language models and the textual nude
Thousands of people think their favorite chatbot has a soul, but why does no one ever say the same about Midjourney?
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Flux @flux.community · 20/06/2026
Juneteenth and the failure of Reconstruction are stories we must never forget. Learning about past American injustice is an inspiration to do better. Students everywhere deserve to know the stories of people like Joshua Houston and Samuel Walker Houston.
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Juneteenth and the failure of Reconstruction are stories we must never forget
The lives of people like Joshua Houston and Samuel Walker Houston reveal that justice must be a perpetual struggle
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Conifers & Citrus (Jeff Bull Maroon Jackson 5) @snackyd.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
“'Pluralism is the idea that mutual worldviews and life systems can exists side by side,' Simmons writes, calling it 'the root of an unrighteous society.'” The title flags the project. Again, Americans aren't so much divided as they are *being* divided. plus.flux.community/p/the-radica...
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The radical Christian nationalist plan to colonize rural America and establish sharia-style governance
Pastor Raymond Simmons’s calls on Christians to eliminate religious freedom and establish adultery and abortion as capital crimes
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Flux @flux.community · 20/06/2026
Juneteenth and the failure of Reconstruction are stories we must never forget. Learning about past American injustice is an inspiration to do better. Students everywhere deserve to know the stories of people like Joshua Houston and Samuel Walker Houston.
plus.flux.community
Juneteenth and the failure of Reconstruction are stories we must never forget
The lives of people like Joshua Houston and Samuel Walker Houston reveal that justice must be a perpetual struggle
0135
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Flux @flux.community · 26/05/2026
New research suggests how brains help us decide who to trust and why A rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala is helping neuroscientists rethink the origins of trust and fear
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New research suggests how brains help us decide who to trust and why
A rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala is helping neuroscientists rethink the origins of trust and fear
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Flux @flux.community · 18/06/2026
The radical Christian nationalist plan to colonize rural America and establish sharia-style governance through decades of effort Yes, this is a real thing. Via @petemontdc.com
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The radical Christian nationalist plan to colonize rural America and establish sharia-style governance
Pastor Raymond Simmons’s calls on Christians to eliminate religious freedom and establish adultery and abortion as capital crimes
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Flux @flux.community · 17/06/2026
Many men are struggling economically and socially, but too often, it's only reactionaries like Jordan Peterson or Andrew Tate who blame women and democracy who are speaking to men. That needs to change, @etvpod.bsky.social argues:
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As men struggle, progressives should offer answers and solutions
Reactionaries shouldn’t be the only ones speaking to men during a time of social upheaval and economic injustice
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Jim Carroll @jtccarroll.flux.community · 12/06/2026
My latest at @flux.community: The race for a Senate seat in Texas highlights how MAGA's authoritarian governance is deeply intertwined with its celebration of a predatory, backwards maculinity. 1/x plus.flux.community/p/in-texas-s...
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In Texas senate showdown, Ken Paxton’s rhetoric about masculinity could backfire
The race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico suggests that taking on MAGA requires Democrats to fully engage in fights over values as well as policy proposals
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Flux @flux.community · 16/06/2026
Vaccines are one of humanity's greatest inventions ever, but despite 300 years of success, antivax people are still using the same debunked arguments. @tomlevenson.bsky.social joined @matthew.flux.community to discuss the political history of vaccines:
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Antivax arguments haven’t gotten any better in 300 years
Science writer Thomas Levenson on his new book, ‘A Pox on Fools,’ a history of anti-vaccine movements
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Dr. Lisa Corrigan @drlisacorrigan.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Delighted to join @matthew.flux.community again at Theory of Change to chat about US politics and liberal fantasies of governance!
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Flux @flux.community · 11/06/2026
In Texas senate showdown, Ken Paxton’s rhetoric about masculinity could backfire for Ken Paxton, @jtccarroll.flux.community writes:
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In Texas senate showdown, Ken Paxton’s rhetoric about masculinity could backfire
The race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico suggests that taking on MAGA requires Democrats to fully engage in fights over values as well as policy proposals
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Dr. Lisa Corrigan @drlisacorrigan.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Delighted to join @matthew.flux.community again at Theory of Change to chat about US politics and liberal fantasies of governance!
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Flux @flux.community · 09/06/2026
The U.S. is inexperienced as a democracy, and it’s showing @drlisacorrigan.bsky.social joins @matthew.flux.community for a discussion of how America's inexperience with democracy is why it is endangered today
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The U.S. is inexperienced as a democracy, and it’s showing
Historian Lisa Corrigan on how Democrats haven’t learned how to wield power to preserve democracy
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Flux @flux.community · 31/05/2026
Donald Trump has never been more unpopular than now. And yet the Democratic Party is even more disliked. @rickperlstein.bsky.social joined @matthew.flux.community for a discussion on where former Trump supporters might go now, and Democrats' refusal to listen to their own voters:
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Trump is at record-low approval, but Democrats have not been able to build their own public support - Flux
Historian Rick Perlstein on how America got this way
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Flux @flux.community · 26/05/2026
New research suggests how brains help us decide who to trust and why A rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala is helping neuroscientists rethink the origins of trust and fear
plus.flux.community
New research suggests how brains help us decide who to trust and why
A rare genetic disorder that damages the amygdala is helping neuroscientists rethink the origins of trust and fear
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 22/05/2026
I'm running a fundraiser to help me keep doing high-quality news and analysis about politics, technology, philosophy, and religion. We need a lot more original analysis that is more than just "Trump did a bad thing." I cannot do this without your help. Thanks so much!
gofundme.com
Donate to Support Quality Political and Tech Journalism, organized by Matt Sheffield
The media industry is dying, but the need for in-depth analysis has not d… Matt Sheffield needs your support for Support Quality Political and Tech Journalism
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Flux @flux.community · 25/05/2026
In an age of shallow and reactive content, the need for in-depth reporting and analysis has never been greater given what's at stake. Please chip in to our fundraiser. We need your help to keep going! Thank you! gofund.me/77c21221e
gofund.me
Donate to Support Quality Political and Tech Journalism, organized by Matt Sheffield
The media industry is dying, but the need for in-depth analysis has not d… Matt Sheffield needs your support for Support Quality Political and Tech Journalism
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Flux @flux.community · 25/05/2026
Pope Leo, Opus Dei, and the battle for the soul of Catholicism @garethgore.bsky.social joins @matthew.flux.community for an hour-long discussion on Opus Dei, reactionary Catholicism, and how American converts are trying to Protestantize the pope Video and transcript included:
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Pope Leo, Opus Dei, and the battle for the soul of Catholicism - Flux
Author Gareth Gore on Opus Dei and reactionary Catholics' battle against modernity
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Flux @flux.community · 15/05/2026
Chatbots aren’t conscious, but the specific details as to why are important @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social joined @matthew.flux.community for a wide-ranging discussion about minds, meaning, and artificial intelligence which introduces his new Epistemic Flux Theory:
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Chatbots aren’t conscious, but the specific details as to why are important - Flux
A discussion about minds, meaning, and artificial intelligence
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Flux @flux.community · 13/05/2026
With Callais decision, the right-wing Supreme Court majority has unveiled the inescapable reality of Republican white supremacism Democrats need to find a way to rally a majority against the dire threat of GOP racism and its threat to modern America Via @jtccarroll.flux.community:
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With Callais decision, the right-wing Supreme Court majority has unveiled the inescapable reality of Republican white supremacism
With gerrymandering set to nullify key gains of the civil rights movement, Democrats need to find a way to rally a majority against the dire threat of GOP racism and its threat to modern America
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Flux @flux.community · 08/05/2026
MAGA is not a monolith, and that’s why Trump’s poll numbers have fallen Pollster Stephen Hawkins joined @matthew.flux.community on "Theory of Change" to discuss his 11,000 person survey of Trump voters that reveals many internal divisions, including some younger men being much more extreme.
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MAGA is not a monolith, and that’s why Trump’s poll numbers have fallen - Flux
Pollster Stephen Hawkins on a new report that examines the seams in the MAGA coalition
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Nils Gilman @nilsgilman.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
I spoke with the great @matthew.flux.community about why a classic liberal arts education is actually a safer-than-ever bet in an age of machine-augmented intelligence plus.flux.community/p/in-the-ai-...
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In the AI-powered job market, knowing what truth looks like will matter most
Nils Gilman on why a classic liberal arts education is a safer bet in an age of machine-augmented intelligence
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 05/05/2026
Love or hate LLMs, there will be plenty of jobs in the future because of their limitations. People who can think broadly and clearly will have the advantage.
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Flux @flux.community · 05/05/2026
In the AI-powered job market, knowing what truth looks like will matter most @nilsgilman.bsky.social on why a classic liberal arts education is a safer bet in an age of machine-augmented intelligence
flux.community
In the AI-powered job market, knowing what truth looks like will matter most - Flux
Nils Gilman on why a classic liberal arts education is a safer bet in an age of machine-augmented intelligence
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Flux @flux.community · 30/04/2026
In the latest Theory of Change, @ajbauer.bsky.social joins @matthew.flux.community to discuss his new book about how the myth of "liberal media bias" has warped American politics. Even Democrats and the mainstream media have been badly damaged by this manipulation:
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How the myth of ‘liberal media bias’ warped American politics
A.J. Bauer on the origins and purpose of the myth that the establishment press is progressive
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Flux @flux.community · 30/04/2026
To achieve a beautiful future, we must never stop imagining @monikabielskyte.bsky.social joins @matthew.flux.community to discuss how to rescue the future from Big Tech dystopianism
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To achieve a beautiful future, we must never stop imagining
Monika Bielskyte on rescuing futurism from Big Tech’s dystopia
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Flux @flux.community · 28/04/2026
Donald Trump’s belligerent attacks on the Pope are backfiring badly Picking a fight with a peace-mongering pontiff may well pay massive future dividends — for opponents of the president and MAGA. Via @jtccarroll.flux.community:
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Donald Trump’s belligerent attacks on the Pope backfire badly
Picking a fight with a peace-mongering pontiff may well pay massive future dividends — for opponents of the president and MAGA.
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 23/04/2026
My latest: Historians are now saying the Trump era is a Second Gilded Age. If that's true, Democrats must realize that fake populism can only be defeated by real populism
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To end Trump’s Second Gilded Age, Democrats should remember how the first one was rolled back
Fake populism can only be defeated by the real thing
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Flux @flux.community · 21/04/2026
New from @matthew.flux.community: Barack Obama reading books to preschoolers with Zohran Mamdani is a very big deal. The former president seems to have realized that Democrats cannot defeat Trumpism unless they include all of the party’s voters.
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Barack Obama reading books to preschoolers with Zohran Mamdani is a very big deal
The former president seems to have realized that Democrats cannot defeat Trumpism unless they include all of the party’s voters
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Matthew Sheffield @matthew.flux.community · 17/04/2026
🧵Trump's war against Pope Leo is about something far larger than his foreign wars, it's actually a struggle for control of American Christianity. This thread will summarize the main points of my latest essay about how Trumpism is a replacement Christianity. Continue or click through:
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Trump hates Pope Leo because he sees himself as the real vicar of Christ
The president is trying to rebuild Christianity in his own image, but the first American pope is standing in the way
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Flux @flux.community · 17/04/2026
Trump hates Pope Leo because he sees himself as the real vicar of Christ, @matthew.flux.community writes. The president is trying to rebuild Christianity in his own image, but the first American pope is standing in the way.
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Trump hates Pope Leo because he sees himself as the real vicar of Christ
The president is trying to rebuild Christianity in his own image, but the first American pope is standing in the way
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Flux @flux.community · 14/04/2026
Young men are being drawn to the beauty industry through toxic ‘looksmaxxing’ trends Ideas that first began among incel communities are spreading far beyond
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Young men are being drawn to the beauty industry through toxic ‘looksmaxxing’ trends
Ideas that first began among incel communities are spreading far beyond
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Flux @flux.community · 07/04/2026
Military officials warned not to obey illegal orders as Trump’s Iran ‘deadline’ looms Laws against war crimes will still exist, even after Trump is not president
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Military officials warned not to obey illegal orders as Trump’s Iran ‘deadline’ looms
Laws against war crimes will still exist, even after Trump is not president
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Flux @flux.community · 06/04/2026
To derail and defeat Trumpism, we need a broader public awareness of how the president's sociopathy merges with longstanding American pathologies.
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Obsessed with dominating Iran through unmitigated violence, Trump channels age-old American pathologies
To derail and defeat Trump, we need a broader public awareness of how the president's sociopathy synergizes with long-standing, malevolent conceptions of the United States
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Flux @flux.community · 03/04/2026
James Talarico is setting an example of a liberal Christianity that is unapologetically both things--while also being inclusive of non-religious and non-Christian people. @aselrod.bsky.social and @matthew.flux.community discuss why this is the way:
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Is liberal Christianity making a comeback?
Alan Elrod on James Talarico and why the U.S. left needs to speak to all Americans
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