We are halfway through the Romancing the Vote auction, supporting the right to vote (in these cursed midterms), and we are now at almost US$140K raised, with 930+ items to bid on--from three figures to 20 bucks, there's something for everyone.

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #Midterms #Democracy

You can bid or 'buy now' here:
https://bsky.app/profile/romancingthevote.com

And you can check out special interest items on offer by checking out the Romancing the Vote Bluesky account here:
https://bsky.app/profile/romancingthevote.com

There are about 30 hours left in the Romancing the Vote auction supporting voting rights. There are currently 980 items on offer, from consultations on worldbuilding (from all angles--religion, geology, history, physics/chemistry/astronomy/etc) and writing (editing/copyediting) to one-of-a-kind art (the skull quilt is probably the biggest but not the only one).

And there are many buy-now items at very affordable prices

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #Midterms #Democracy

https://www.32auctions.com/romancingthevote2026

We are no in the home stretch! The Romancing the Vote auction for voting rights ends tonight at 7 PM Central. There are almost a thousand items on offer, from very affordable buy-it-now to some amazing one of a kind arts and crafts, and a ton of writing-related consults.

Go bid for democracy!

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #Midterms #Democracy #VotingRights

https://kind.social/@azteclady/116863381981124396

azteclady » 🌐 2026-07-04
@azteclady@kind.social

There are about 30 hours left in the Romancing the Vote auction supporting voting rights. There are currently 980 items on offer, from consultations on worldbuilding (from all angles--religion, geology, history, physics/chemistry/astronomy/etc) and writing (editing/copyediting) to one-of-a-kind art (the skull quilt is probably the biggest but not the only one).

And there are many buy-now items at very affordable prices

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #Midterms #Democracy

https://www.32auctions.com/romancingthevote2026

Fight fascists, make community!

We are less than four hours to the end of the Romancing the Vote silent auction, midterms 2026 edition!

There are hundreds of items, and many of them are really affordable. Go get thee antifascist stickers for US$10

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #Midterms #Democracy #VotingRights

https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/74830/auctions/200913/auction_items/7054906

#PSA: the Romancing the Vote YT channel is hosting a livestream of the bidding for the last couple of hours of the auction; currently, you can just watch the spreadsheet scrolling by, but soon the chaos that is fighting for democracy alongside genre romance writers and readers will be fully unleashed.

The channel: https://www.youtube.com/@RomancingtheVote

The Bidstream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdHcTJeiIvE

The auction itself:
https://www.32auctions.com/romancingthevote2026

#RomancingTheVote #Democracy #Midterms #VotingRights #USPolitics

The Romancing the Vote team has raised a lot of money (over a million dollars across three previous midterm efforts), and the hope is to add a good chunk to the total this time around; the total raised sits currently at almost US$210K, with just under two hours to go.

Go browse, bid, fight fascism.

#RomancingTheVote #Midterms #USPolitics #VotingRights #Democracy

https://www.32auctions.com/romancingthevote2026

Today, in lieu of scheduled celebrations of a US that is held hostage by forces bent on dismantling democracy, I am re-posting an essay I wrote in September 2024, prior to the last election, about the considerable repair work that American democracy needs to protect itself from tyrants.

https://netsettlement.blogspot.com/2024/09/repairing-democracy.html

#politics #USPolitics #4th #july4th #FourthOfJuly #US250 #US250th #Democracy #Freedom #Constitution #SCOTUS #ElectoralCollege #Gerrymandering #voting #impeachment #CitizensUnited #Rights #Corporations #Marriage #Abortion #Pardons #DEI #Religion

Romancing the Vote auction is going strong, again. And here to remind us of facts, a "Diversity makes America greater" mini quilt:

#RomancingTheVote #USPolitics #VotingRights #Midterms #Democracy

https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/74830/auctions/200913/auction_items/7057446

In the latest blow to President Donald Trump’s anti-voting agenda, a federal court on Wednesday granted the NAACP’s request to halt the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) implementation of his executive order against mail voting. https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/court-blocks-usps-from-implementing-trumps-anti-mail-voting-order/

#politics #uspol #democracy #freedom #worldpol

Op-Ed: The False Civil Society and the Real One By Mrika Temali

https://www.tiranatimes.com/the-false-civil-society-and-the-real-one/ #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Alt...

"35 years after the fall of communism, Albania offers a bitter paradox. The European Union, Western governments and international foundations have spent millions indeed tens of millions in the name of building civil society, strengthening democracy, protecting civic space and empowering citizens. Yet, at one of the most dramatic political moments in the country’s post-communist history, much of what is officially called “civil society” is either silent, absent, or comfortably positioned within the orbit of power. This is not a failure of terminology. It is a failure of democracy. For decades, Albania has been home to an entire industry of democracy projects: seminars, capacity-building programs, consultation meetings, monitoring reports, donor strategies, public forums, roundtables on civic space, workshops on good governance, electoral integrity, anti-corruption, media freedom and European integration. A whole vocabulary of democracy has flourished. But the reality of democracy has withered. The result is that a large part of Albania’s so-called civil society has become an institution in the service of the system it was supposed to scrutinize. It speaks the language of accountability, but avoids holding power accountable. It invokes citizens, but rarely stands with them when they confront abuse. It talks about civic space, while failing to defend the actual civic space where citizens gather, protest and risk confrontation with an arrogant state."

20th night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania catalyzed by private goons working for Kusher-linked development

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoG7BuBBxh4 #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Tirana, Albania - 14 June 2026

- SOUNDBITE (English) Marilda Ledi, protester:

"None of the Albanian youngsters that are protesting here are against the development, (they) are against corruptive development and development that exploits natural environment and everything else."

- SOUNDBITE (English) Ardesian Binjakaj, protester:

"I came here to protest because we are currently facing a very corrupt government who is doing a lot of things against their own people. They're doing everything they can in their power to suppress us as protesters. They're doing everything they can in order to pocket and increase their earnings while the average citizen is out here suffering for basic needs, such as water, healthcare, and a lot more."

-. Mid of protesters chanting UPSOUND "Rama step down"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igVYTJGJnRs

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

"The largest anti-government protest in Albania / Motorcade with hundreds of protesters from the diaspora"

Too bad it was a car protest, though. I guess it makes it harder for authorities to charge them with "blocking traffic" than charging pedestrians and cyclists.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN0RQ6SfPhM #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

"Wait for us, we're coming!", "Rama in prison!"/ Diaspora together, convoy of Albanians towards Tirana

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2mkrIq-7eU #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

21st night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana.

Formally incorporating many diaspora Albanians who arrived in Tirana today to join in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YX4awxIRLEk #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

They spent the night in front of the Prime Minister's Office, police demand the protesters leave

"The main protest in Tirana starts at 6pm every night (so those who work day jobs can attend).

This hardy group tried to set up overnight outside the prime minister's office with chairs and patio umbrellas. The police didn't like that."

The auto-translate is bad. What they're chanting is "Rama (the PM's surname) resign!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPCrU1S0Qao #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Protestë historike para Kryeministrisë. Dita e 22-të e revoltës për dorëheqjen e Edi Ramës

22nd day/night of protests. Usually a big group gathers by 6pm, but it looks like they're talking with folks who are still demonstrating (after an overnight presence) in front of the PM's building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GG6Ci1xqfY #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Albania’s Street Revolt Turns (Party) Political

"The protest, now in its 21st consecutive day, has become openly political. It is no longer mainly about the disputed Zvërnec project, nor only about the lack of transparency surrounding so-called strategic investment projects. Zvërnec was the match that lit a much larger fire.

That fire had been building for years: over bad governance, corruption, arrogance, institutional deafness, the concentration of power in one man’s hands and the personalization of authority. For many protesters, Albania no longer resembles a functioning parliamentary democracy. As one local analyst put it, the country has come to look more like a sultanate, where one person controls and directs almost everything."

https://www.tiranatimes.com/albanias-street-revolt-turns-political/

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #EU #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Revolta në Kakome: Rrëzohet rrethimi që prej dy dekadash pengonte hyrjen në plazh

Machine translation: Kakome riots: The fence that had blocked access to the beach for two decades has collapsed

Kakome is between Sazan Island (where Kusher development deal is) and the Greek Island of Corfu, further down along the Albanian coast.

"The civic uprising in Kakome has brought down the fence that had been preventing citizens from freely accessing the beach for nearly 20 years. This development has been seen by many participants as a symbol of the strength of civic unity. According to them, citizens have understood that only united can they protect rights, property and the public interest, taking their destiny and that of the country into their own hands."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA_OmVPshKc

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #FlamingoRevolution #Democracy

Interview in Italian with an Albanian member of the diaspora (in Netherlands) who came back to support the protests. Diaspora Albanians came back before this weekend to protest, but there was an organized return of diaspora Albanians just this past Saturday.

He speaks of how the corruption and patronage keep Albanians poor, forcing better-educated anti-corruption Albanians to leave the country.

For decades, Albania's youth have had to emigrate to survive & to support their extended families.

There was no reckoning for the oligarchs under Hoxha. Many of the same people run things now under "democracy".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgoBwf8D-Rk #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

Carving Up the Adriatic: Why Are Albanians Protesting the Kushner Luxury Resort?

This is not from an Albanian commentator, but from someone who comes from the Balkans and does a good summary of Albanian and regional history that is important to understand to put the Flamingo Revolution into context.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a92meECMvU #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

Interview in Italian with an Albanian who was in the diaspora and came back to live in Albania. He speaks of why many in the diaspora are afraid to come back, and of how corruption has gotten worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3358wzdhFSs #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

I was unable to post this yesterday, but here's the archive of the livecast of the 23rd day/night of protests in Tirana, the capital of Albania.

There are also protests in other Albanian cities. And also in cities abroad with significant numbers of Albanian diaspora.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMZoKWr84E4 #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

"For decades, migration from Albania was largely explained by poverty and the search for survival after the collapse of communism. Today, according to researcher Ilir Gëdeshi, the pattern has changed. Migration is increasingly selective and structural. It affects young people, educated people and skilled professionals in disproportionate numbers.

The reasons are no longer only economic. Young Albanians are leaving because they do not see a future at home. The study points to dissatisfaction with corruption, lack of meritocracy, weak trust in institutions, poor services, inadequate infrastructure and the feeling that success depends more on political connections than on talent or work."

https://www.tiranatimes.com/albanias-missing-generation-a-country-losing-its-future-before-2050/ #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

Brief piece, mostly focusing on a member of the Albanian diaspora who's been living in France but came back for the protest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMz7zIsYSbo #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

How Ivanka Trump’s plans for a lux resort sparked The Flamingo Revolution

This is a better report than I expected from a major US network (my expectations are low these days).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNSlGOKqrR8
#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy

The 24th straight day of protests in Tirana, Albania, the capital.

There are also protests in other cities in Albania and at Albanian embassies in countries with significant Albanian diaspora.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkgHVFYvkN0 #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance

The 25th day/night of protests in Tirana, Albania. There's a thunderstorm right now and protestors are still out there meeting up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYS-Ln89w-c #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance

Albania’s flamingo protests: Will protests stop Trump’s family luxury resort plan? • FRANCE 24

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKKolg5RaVw #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #USpol

The 26th day/night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBmYNN147dI #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

Kushner-backed luxury resort sparks outrage, dividing Albanian population • FRANCE 24 English

This includes some interview footage from Albanian scientists and environmentalists, who've been carrying this fight for at least 2 years before it erupted generally in late May.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wA2t84BV6xs #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

27th day/night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Arj1D-miO04

#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

28th day/night of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania

They've got some new chants, new signs, and someone's projecting onto the Prime Minister's office building.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErUYZKiRZoA
#Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

Albania's "Flamingo revolution": Trump-linked luxury resort plan triggers mass protests

"Protests in Albania entered their fifth week on Saturday, with demonstrations that began in May over a planned luxury resort project linked to the Trump family. Since then, the movement has expanded into a broader criticism of Prime Minister Edi Rama and his government, with protesters raising wider concerns about governance and political accountability. Vladimir Karaj, a journalist and editor at the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, joins us from Tirana for further insights."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgm6m4O4EvY #Albania #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

29th day/night of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, #Albania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flsxU50Ubr0 #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution

Albanians keep protesting against Jared Kushner-linked resort project

They interview two Albanians who speak English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmTglc2flDM #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Day 30 of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTptRlikdfc #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

31st day of anti-corruption protests in Tirana, Albania.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndgAANbwWBg #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

“Lironi çunat!”/ Protestuesit marrin vendimin: Protesta e orës 19:00 do të nisë që tani!

Machine translation:""Free the kids!"/ Protesters make the decision: The 7:00 PM protest will start now!"

3 protestors were apparently arrested earlier today and news reporters are gathered around the police station while MPs from the Mundësia Party are trying to find out which police station they've been taken to. More on the Mundësia Party here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opportunity_Party_(Albania)

(The MPs come out and say 6 were arrested and two each were taken to 3 different police stations.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItTnOMYkk3s #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania