Stop Killing the Internet's take on the EU Kids Act

https://www.stopkillingtheinternet.com/press/eu-kids-act

The EU Kids Act, while well-intentioned and tackling a real issue, would result in the building of an infrastructure of identity verification. While the proposal is restricted to age verification, turning it into ID checks would be very simple. The proposal is very comprehensive, and targets web platforms, operating systems, online games (including when played from a game console).

Protecting children is important. Banning them from public spaces while building a mass surveillance infrastructure is not the solution.

If you're a European citizen, sign the petition here: https://eci.ec.europa.eu/066/public

Campaign website: https://www.stopkillingtheinternet.com/

#democracy
#digitaldemocracy
#digitalrights
#privacy

@noybeu @EUCommission Ireland? Big Tech’s bitch? Aral, how rude!

Oh?

“Before the meeting closes, Prime Minister Kelly has a favour to ask. Europe is steaming about privacy and Facebook, and they’re about to adopt a law – the General Data Protection Regulation – to crack down on how Big Tech uses personal data. Exactly who will enforce the law is still being negotiated. Kenny wants it to be Ireland. We do too. But we’ve got a problem because no one believes Ireland will be tough enough on the tech companies. With good reason. Kenny needs to make it seem like his regulator – the Irish Data Protection Commission – is on the case right now, doing proper oversight, a watchdog Europe can trust with this responsibility. “Ireland’s been criticized,” he says, which is true, and asks if we can assist in “building up the credibility” of his regulator by talking publicly about its audits of Facebook privacy, and the changes we’ve made because of it. In other words, we should tell the world that the lapdog has been a pit bull. Of course, Sheryl agrees to this.”

https://ar.al/2025/03/21/careless-people/

#ireland #eu #BigTech #GDPR #AI #privacy #humanRights #democracy

Ireland = Big Tech’s bitch
EU = ?

“AI: EU Member States plan ‘digital expropriation’ of Europeans in the interest of AI companies

In a leaked document, the Irish Presidency proposes to EU Member States that the interest of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and SpaceX to make profits should take precedence over the fundamental right to data protection. Use of personal data ‘in the context of AI’ should automatically be lawful. There seems to be wide informal agreement by many Member States. In particular, Big Tech would be able to use all personal data collected over the past decades with virtually no restrictions, as long as this happens ‘in the context’ of AI.” – @noybeu

https://noyb.eu/en/ai-eu-member-states-plan-digital-expropriation-europeans-interest-ai-companies

Hey, @EUCommission, you Big Tech’s bitch too? Shall we just do away with all this “human rights” and “democracy” malarkey and let you guys breathe a little?

#ireland #eu #BigTech #GDPR #AI #privacy #humanRights #democracy

There is no democracy in Ukraine.... There are no elections. Zelensky remains the leader under martial law as long as the war continues.

What hope does Zelensky have? If he surrenders, he's a dead man. The Russians would likely kill him as a war criminal. And what hope do the people of Ukraine have that he would actually end this war? What hope do they have that he would lift martial law from them and restore their freedoms?

#Ukraine #democracy #freedom

It's possible to contact your government representatives without using nonfree software or nonfree JavaScript: https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

#GiftArticle

175 years. 15 million articles.
The #NewYorkTimes has recorded the #US’ transformation.
Its work will continue, writes A.G. Sulzberger.

#law #Constitution #FirstAmendment #FreePress #journalism #media #FourthEstate #democracy
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/18/opinion/nyt-175-anniversary-sulzberger.html?unlocked_article_code=1.CVE.yE43.PcNVcU6V8Gta&smid=nytcore-ios-share

It's getting harder and harder to find ways of contacting our state, province, or national governments in ways that don't require handing off our freedom in the process: https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #FreeSoftware #protest #FreedomofSpeech #democracy

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a sheet of notebook paper with text reading 'our user freedom is in danger' and 'contact your government' written three times.

How do you contact your government representatives without using nonfree software? https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

A curious personal note: I was born in the early 1980s, when Brazil was still under a military dictatorship. The current Constitution was adopted in 1988, and the first direct presidential election after the dictatorship took place in 1989. I still remember my parents coming home happy after voting for president, talking about how meaningful it was to be able to choose again.

From that perspective, someone of my generation in Brazil has actually lived under democratic institutions for slightly longer than someone of the same age who grew up in the former East Germany, which remained under an authoritarian communist regime until 1989.

I find that historical perspective worth remembering when discussing political culture in eastern Germany today.

#Democracy #Germany #DDR #Brazil #History

I watched the 2hr video this morning. Things are *so so so bad*, it is unbelievable. #LG is just exemplaric of what happens all over the place. In the video a whole network of complicit corporations is exposed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFVTcM28KA

CC @EUCommission See toot above ☝️ .. Speed up regulation and enforcement please, before it is too late.

#Freedom #Democracy #technology #privacy #security #SurveillanceCapitalism #TechnoFascism

It becomes harder and harder to see how #Democracy can survive given the state of our modern technology, that has run totally amok.

https://social.coop/@smallcircles/117229629451189798

#HumaneTechnology #privacy #SurveillanceCapitalism #TechnoFascism

🫧 Social coding commons » 🌐 2026-09-07
@smallcircles@social.coop

Whew, though not surprising at all in the age of #SurveillanceCapitalism and #TechnoFascism. #LG and #Samsung are known to be among the worst privacy invaders in TV land and beyond.

"LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices"

> "The researchers also documented remote code execution vulnerabilities in webOS that are currently moving through the responsible disclosure process. Because of the fact that the TV uses broad network listeners and data sweeps out of the box, the team's recommendation was straight-up disconnecting LG sets from the internet and using external streaming devices instead."

Perhaps they shouldn't do responsible disclosurre, but instead create such a huge #privacy scandal, that people return their TV's en masse, and regulation is made to forbid these practices once and for all.

https://www.notebookcheck.net/LG-smart-TVs-caught-logging-audio-with-screen-off-and-snooping-on-local-devices.1391214.0.html

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49594878

Do not connect your TV to the internet, or be content that Big Brother is watching you.

How do you contact your government representatives without using nonfree software? https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

An Algorithmic Failure Beneath the Secret #Ballot

https://blog.citp.princeton.edu/2026/08/03/an-algorithmic-failure-beneath-the-secret-ballot/

#privacy #AI #election #democracy

@futurebird

Also it is clear that #Youtube recommendation algorithm serves completely different realities to different people. Sometimes suddenly the algorithm (by accident, or on purpose) leaks some blatant misinformation or alt-right/fascist video's into my browser viewport.

The example in the snapshot I encountered yesterday, and is one that is easy to detect. I watch pro-Ukraine channels, and this guy is a clear Russian hack.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Diesen

It shows how dangerous Youtube is for #freedom and #democracy, esp. where more and more people turn away from TV and regular #news channels to get fully 'informed' by #SocialMedia.

Alt...

Misinformation in my recommendations. A video thumnail reading "Ukraine is closer to collapse than you think" by a Russian hack called Glenn Diesen.

Tony Greenstein won his case by choosing to tell the jury its context (his barrister could be punished for doing so).

Once given a chance to hear all the facts, the jury accepted his arguments, incl that the UK judiciary were readily conniving in the state's growing authoritarianism.

Tellingly, Greenstein’s victory was almost entirely ignored by the msm.

The speech
https://greghadfield.medium.com/tony-greenstein-the-most-important-half-hour-of-my-life-d03f7877a492

https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2026-08-30/britain-rigs-trials-genocide-opponents/

#UKPol #EUPol #GreensteinCase #GazaGenocide #palestine #news #Democracy .

Tony Greenstein won his case by choosing to tell the jury its context (his barrister could be punished for doing so).

Once given a chance to hear all the facts, the jury accepted his arguments, incl that the UK judiciary were readily conniving in the state's growing authoritarianism.

Tellingly, Greenstein’s victory was almost entirely ignored by the msm.

The speech
https://greghadfield.medium.com/tony-greenstein-the-most-important-half-hour-of-my-life-d03f7877a492

https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2026-08-30/britain-rigs-trials-genocide-opponents/

#UKPol #EUPol #GreensteinCase #GazaGenocide #palestine #news #Democracy .

Treating the #FCC like his own personal enforcer, #Trump said on social media Sunday that #NBC’s #KristenWelker would be “reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment” over a TV segment he didn’t like.

In a separate post, Trump complained in all caps about “fake polls” & said “something must be done about it,” adding, “FCC to the rescue!”

#law #democracy #US #Constitution #FirstAmendment #FreePress #FreeSpeech #authoritarianism #dictatorship #MafiaState
https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/30/politics/trump-kristen-welker-fcc-nbc

While it was only a matter of time, this is still a very bad development.

«An internet troll on the Pentagon’s payroll has made a database to track Americans based on their political affiliation. …

The release of the evidently government-funded DSA Explorer comes amid a broader effort to label left-wing activists and organizers as domestic terrorists.

In a lengthy disclaimer on the database website, Pounds warned that her data may not be 100 percent accurate. … “Do not rely on this material without independent verification.”»

Source: https://www.rsn.org/001/a-hegseth-employee-created-a-database-to-track-americans-based-on-their-political-affiliation.html

I'm just not sure a disclaimer and request to be careful is going to hold back people who are determined to make an inference that itself is bogus on its face and is likely in search of any flimsy justification.

#fascism #surveillance #SurveillanceSociety #USElections #USPolitics #DSA #DSAExplorer #privacy #democracy #Constitution #BillOfRights

The EU has a narrow window in which it can come out – in word and deed – as unapologetically anti-fascist and, in no uncertain terms, make it clear that we will not kowtow to a fascist US.

There will be repercussions but I fear the alternative will be far, far worse.

Are you listening, @EUCommission? We’re not just talking about Euros and cents here. Can you understand what’s truly at stake?

#US #fascism #EU #antifascism #humanRights #democracy

One US company – Digital Identity, Inc. – controls 271 TLDs (~42% of all TLDs).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_Digital

This is fine.

It’s not.

And that’s why the Small Web will be using Web Numbers.

https://ar.al/2025/06/25/web-numbers/

And you should seriously be thinking about this and at least have a contingency plan given what happened this week with the fascist US government designating Autistici/Inventati – an anti-fascist Italian .org providing internet support to activists – as terrorists, sanctioning them, and knocking them off the Internet.

https://www.telesurenglish.net/u-s-designates-palestine-action-masar-badil-and-autistici-inventati-as-terrorist-groups/

If you’re serious about sovereignty, @EUCommission, you should be at DEFCON 1. And if your sovereignty plans don’t include decentralisation across the board, we are well and truly fucked.

This doesn’t just concern domains. If you’re an anti-fascist or anti-genocide org or group, the fascist US government can designate you a terrorist group and sanction you thereby cutting you off from banking, hosting, and almost all other infrastructure providers with zero due process in the EU.

PS. In case you’re wondering, this is the full list of TLDs controlled by Digital Identity, Inc.:

Business
• .limited
• .ltd
• .management
• .network
• .partners
• .sarl
• .services
• .solutions
• .ventures
• .support
• .associates
• .business
• .careers
• .center
• .consulting
• .company
• .enterprises
• .gmbh (company with limited liability, German legal entity)
• .group
• .industries
• .international
• .企业 (enterprise)

Education
• .academy
• .church
• .education
• .institute
• .mba
• .school
• .schule (school)
• .university
• .degree

Entertainment
• .bingo
• .bet
• .casino
• .dating
• .dog
• .events
• .games
• .movie
• .lotto
• .show
• .singles
• .theater
• .actor
• .band
• .dance
• .live
• .poker
• .rocks
• .studio
• .video
• .游戏 (games)
• .娱乐 (entertainment)

Financial
• .accountants
• .capital
• .cash
• .claims
• .credit
• .creditcard
• .estate
• .exchange
• .finance
• .financial
• .fund
• .global
• .holdings
• .insure
• .investments
• .llc
• .loans
• .money
• .report
• .tax

Fun Domains
• .cool
• .exposed
• .fail
• .black
• .red
• .gripe
• .jetzt (now in German)
• .ninja
• .blue
• .pink
• .wtf (WTF means usually "what the fuck" in internet slang)
• .life
• .green
• .pet

Healthcare
• .care
• .clinic
• .dental
• .dentist
• .doctor
• .healthcare
• .hospital
• .rehab
• .rip
• .surgery
• .vet
• .vision

Home and Construction
• .plumbing
• .lighting
• .repair
• .tools
• .cleaning
• .builders
• .construction
• .contractors
• .works
• .glass
• .parts
• .pro
• .supplies
• .supply
• .tires

Legal
• .legal
• .attorney
• .lawyer

News and Information
• .bio
• .chat
• .directory
• .fyi (for your information)
• .info
• .memorial
• .tips
• .reviews
• .news
• .media
• .today

Photography
• .camera
• .equipment
• .gallery
• .graphics
• .photography
• .photos
• .pictures

Political and Military
• .democrat
• .republican
• .vote
• .army
• .airforce
• .voto
• .navy
• .family

Real Estate
• .apartments
• .camp
• .community
• .condos
• .farm
• .house
• .immo
• .land
• .lease
• .maison
• .properties
• .rentals
• .villas
• .haus (house)
• .mortgage
• .immobilien (property)

Sports and Fitness
• .bike
• .coach
• .football
• .golf
• .hockey
• .pro
• .run
• .soccer
• .team
• .tennis
• .training
• .ski
• .futbol
• .rocks
• .expert
• .guru
• .fan
• .fitness

Style and Fashion
• .boutique
• .clothing
• .diamonds
• .florist
• .furniture
• .gold
• .jewelry
• .salon
• .shoes
• .style
• .toys
• .watch
• .moda (people/organizations interested in fashion and style)

Technology
• .codes
• .computer
• .domains
• .systems
• .technology
• .engineer
• .engineering
• .energy
• .mobi
• .solar
• .software
• .网站 (web)
• .移动 (mobile)

Travel and Geography
• .travel
• .city
• .cruises
• .flights
• .guide
• .holiday
• .asia
• .irish
• .place
• .reise (travel)
• .viajes (trip)
• .tours
• .town
• .vacations
• .reisen (travel, plural or verb)
• .voyage
• .cab
• .limo
• .zone
• .world
• .taxi

Shopping and Retail
• .bargains
• .cards
• .cheap
• .coupons
• .deals
• .delivery
• .direct
• .discount
• .express
• .gifts
• .gratis (free)
• .plus
• .shopping
• .tienda (store)
• .sale
• .promo
• .kaufen (buy)
• .market
• .auction
• .forsale
• .商店 (shop/store)

Food and Beverage
• .cafe
• .catering
• .coffee
• .kitchen
• .pizza
• .recipes
• .restaurant
• .vin (wine)
• .wine
• .fish
• .pub

Marketing and Communications
• .agency
• .digital
• .email
• .marketing
• .media
• .productions
• .social
• .studio

#USA #US #fascism #AutisticiInventati #TLDs #ICAAN #EU #antifascism #tech #technology #freedom #democracy

How do you contact your government representatives without using nonfree software? https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

Anyone know this guy? I just stumbled onto his podcast he talks like a supervillian part vampire. So far he is very captivating.
#democracy #podcast

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shot of the David Reddish Show podcast

How do you contact your government representatives without using nonfree software? https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗺:

#OpenSource #Democracy #Dedicim

https://thewhale.cc/posts/decidim

Decidim is a digital platform for citizen participation and helps citizens, organizations and public institutions self-organize democratically at every scale.

Alt...

Decidim is a digital platform for citizen participation and helps citizens, organizations and public institutions self-organize democratically at every scale.

Help us catalog information on free software-friendly ways to contact local government! https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #FreeSoftware #protest #FreedomofSpeech #democracy

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a sheet of notebook paper with text reading 'our user freedom is in danger' and 'contact your government' written three times.

"Last week’s horrendous attack at Central #Synagogue underscores the scourge of #antisemitism that has shaken #American #Jews to their core. In an era of rising violence, American Jews and non-Jews seeking values-based leadership would do well to look to the leadership of the #Jewish Council for Public Affairs (#JCPA), founded 80 years ago to engage communities on issues of common concern and shared values (especially #civilrights, justice, and equality).

#JenniferRubin: “JCPA works ‘to build a just and inclusive #democracy.’ Why is that critical, and is #America at risk when one party undermines #democratic values?”

#AmySpitalnick: “Jewish safety and inclusive, pluralistic democracy are inextricably linked — simply put, there is no true democracy without real Jewish safety, and there is no real Jewish safety without ensuring a truly inclusive, pluralistic democracy."

https://jewishpublicaffairs.org/the-contrarian-2026-08-19/news/

Hello, fellow hackers,

I am a #whistleblower and have lost access to computing resources for the time being.

I have this code repository, almost ready. It forms the basis of a True Democracy. Basically, voters get to collectively make up the government’s budget. Government departments have to work within the budgets set by the people.

Could someone please clone, tweak, and deploy it to a public website?

This is a topical solution that will fix many issues we face today.

https://gitlab.com/purrperl/peoples-collaborative-budget

Thank you so much!

#hack #hacker #HackThePlanet #government #governments #democracy
#code #software #MutualAidRequest #perl #PerlHacker
#WebDeveloper #MAGA #democrat #republican #UsPol

OUT NOW | 'Orienting Public Policy: Ethicists in Democratic Public Reasoning' by Frans W.A. Brom -- a philosophical exploration of the role of ethicists in democratic public reasoning.

Read freely online or buy a copy: https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0541

#OpenAccess #ethics #democracy #philosophy

Alt...

The book in hardback on a colourful background next to text that says: Orienting Public Policy: Ethicists in Democratic Public Reasoning by Frans W.A. Brom Moral philosophers and academic ethicists contribute to society not merely as citizens, but in their professional capacity as academics participating in democratic public reasoning. But on what grounds? Drawing on moral and political philosophy, the book presents ethics as a reflective practice and understands professional engagement as a form of ethics advice. Case studies on climate justice, animal experimentation, and food policy illustrate how ethical analysis can clarify normative assumptions, foster dialogue across differences, and help navigate contested issues without erasing pluralism. In an era of increasing polarization, the book calls for a renewed understanding of ethics as a reflective public practice. It offers guidance for philosophers, policymakers, and advisors seeking to sustain a democratic ethos grounded in equality, dignity, and the rule of law.

"The #Hellenization of #Judea and the #assimilation of #American #Jews obviously have radically different etiologies. One occurred in the context of #Hellenistic #imperialism; the other largely through voluntary #integration into a liberal #democracy that offered Jews unprecedented security and opportunity. Yet their morphology may contain a recognizable similarity: cultural encounter, selective assimilation, reinterpretation of #Jewish identity, competing visions of #Jewishness, and eventually intra-Jewish conflict.

The point is not that modern anti-#Zionist Jews are simply modern #Hellenists. Rather, the Hellenistic crisis provides a historical model for understanding how assimilation can eventually turn a disagreement about how Jews should relate to the surrounding world into a conflict over what #Judaism itself means."

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/when-jews-assimilate-into-the-world-around-them/

Don't read Cioran to fall asleep. Most who know me know that I don't support Democracy (or Republics for the pedants out there) as a political system.

https://brywillis634737.substack.com/p/put-a-face-on-it

This distrust of Democracy predates Trump by decades, in case you might be wondering.

#philosophy #politics #language #democracy #tyranny #enlightenment #Plato #Cioran #republics #fantasy #blog #substack #podcast

Interview: "Silicon Valley billionaires’ war on democracy"

"A small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires & venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — & that they should be governing in its place."

"Their fringe ideologies [are now] in the White House." DOGE was one, cutting USAID, another.

“They have so much money, they can turn these weird ideas into policy & cause tremendous damage.”

~Gil Duran

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/10/nx-s1-5927227/silicon-valley-billionaires-war-on-democracy

#USPol #EUPol #BigTech #news #democracy .

Alt...

Silicon Valley billionaires at inauguration

2

Tech fascism is in many ways like normal fascism: a cult of grievance & self-victimization seeking to purge demonized minority-group enemies from power & influence.

Its propaganda highlights tensions & exploits anxieties over gender, law & order, etc. to establish a permanent social hierarchy.

It's a "sort of master race situation where it's men over women, whites over non-whites, the rich over the poor, & on & on & on."

https://www.pbs.org/video/do-silicon-valley-billionaires-want-to-end-democracy-hezktt/

#USPol #EUPol #techFascism #democracy .

2

Tech fascism is in many ways like normal fascism: a cult of grievance & self-victimization seeking to purge demonized minority-group enemies from power & influence.

Its propaganda highlights tensions & exploits anxieties over gender, law & order, etc. to establish a permanent social hierarchy.

It's a "sort of master race situation where it's men over women, whites over non-whites, the rich over the poor, & on & on & on."

https://www.pbs.org/video/do-silicon-valley-billionaires-want-to-end-democracy-hezktt/

#USPol #EUPol #techFascism #democracy .

How do you contact your government representatives without using nonfree software? https://u.fsf.org/contacting-government #FSF #activism #democracy #FreeSoftware

Interview: "Silicon Valley billionaires’ war on democracy"

"A small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires & venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — & that they should be governing in its place."

"Their fringe ideologies [are now] in the White House." DOGE was one, cutting USAID, another.

“They have so much money, they can turn these weird ideas into policy & cause tremendous damage.”

~Gil Duran

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/10/nx-s1-5927227/silicon-valley-billionaires-war-on-democracy

#USPol #EUPol #BigTech #news #democracy .

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Billionaires at trump inauguation

Interview: "Silicon Valley billionaires’ war on democracy"

"A small circle of Silicon Valley billionaires & venture capitalists have concluded that democracy is in their way — & that they should be governing in its place."

"Their fringe ideologies [are now] in the White House." DOGE was one, cutting USAID, another.

“They have so much money, they can turn these weird ideas into policy & cause tremendous damage.”

~Gil Duran

https://www.npr.org/2026/08/10/nx-s1-5927227/silicon-valley-billionaires-war-on-democracy

#USPol #EUPol #BigTech #news #democracy .

American journalist, essayist, satirist, and now I guess we have to add "prophet" or "sooth-sayer" to his list of skills. #uspol #uspolitics #democracy

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“As democracy is perfected, the office of the President represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.” — H.L. MENCKEN, ‘THE BALTIMORE EVENING SUN, July 26, 1920

This is a massive win. If we can prevent fascist voter suppression and intimidation from happening, we stand a chance of turning things around in a few months.

“The bill failed with only 52 Republicans voting for it, well short of the 60-vote threshold needed…Some Republicans wanted the Senate to bypass recess until the SAVE America Act was passed, but there wasn’t enough support among their party for that either.”

To be clear, I believe that voting is a very small part of fighting fascism. But it is still one of the tools. If the system isn’t compromised, it adds great value.

https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/voters-spared-as-senate-recesses-without-passing-save-america-acts-voter-id-measure/

#Voting #Democracy #SaveAmericaAct #Senate #USPol #Fascism

"As Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and their peers have grown richer and more influential, Gil Durán argues they have all but abandoned democracy – and found the perfect government to enable them"

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2026/aug/05/journalist-taking-on-tech-fascists-silicon-valley

#technofascism #elonmusk #peterthiel #thechbro #gilduran #democracy #uspol #technofeudalism #fuckelon #fucktrump #peterthielisafascist #peterthielisevil

Day 47 of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, Albania

Watch, like, boost and share to help keep international pressure on the current Albanian government to follow what protestors are demanding.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ouhF5AS7lk

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

Voting in the UK.

Rumour has it that Labour are keen to introduce compulsory voting, with an option of ‘none of the above’ and a £10 fine for non compliance. I know that Australia uses a similar system. What do UK voters think of it (please boost for coverage)

#Voting #Democracy #WouldBeNice #UKPol

“For those of us who lost friends bringing #democracy to other countries, it’s incredibly noxious seeing this secretary [ #MarcoRubio ] using American power to undermine credible #elections in other countries for ideological purposes,” the senior #US #State Department official with knowledge of the endeavor said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly [& feared retaliation].

#law #InternationalLaw #sovereignty #US #Brazil #Trump #BigLie

“We used to deploy power in dangerous situations for #democracy,” the senior #State Dept ofcl said. “Now we send political appointees to discredit another country’s electoral system.”

[damn 🔥]

#law #InternationalLaw #sovereignty #US #Brazil #Trump #BigLie

The senior ofcl drew a distinction between this diplomatic mission & efforts by the #US govt in 2022 [under #Biden] to fortify Brazilian #democracy & avert a #military takeover. In the lead-up to that #election, #JairBolsonaro [aping #Trump] repeatedly sought to sow doubt over Brazil’s electoral system, which he [falsely] alleged was rife with fraud.

#law #InternationalLaw #sovereignty #Brazil #Trump #BigLie

#JairBolsonaro, a former #military officer, simultaneously worked to #politicize the Brazilian military & warned of a democratic “rupture” if his power was threatened.

Two days after Bolsonaro proclaimed that “the army is on our side,” then-Defense Secretary #LloydAustin spoke out in support of #democracy in #Brasília & about the need for #civilian control of the military.

#law #InternationalLaw #sovereignty #US #Brazil #Trump #BigLie

I mean…

#Trump Admin Admits Canceling Grants to #States That Did Not Vote for Him

Federal officials said in #court documents that they halted billions of dollars in #funding for #energy projects to states “based solely” on whether they backed Trump in the 2024 election.

#MafiaState #law #democracy #UNITEDStates #RussVought #Project2025 #RevengePolitics

#GiftArticle
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/24/business/trump-state-grants-canceled.html?unlocked_article_code=1.0FA.mOeN.GJmOAVRjp_oO&smid=nytcore-ios-share

New from Deliah Brown: As America marks its 250th year, the question remains: Are we committed to continuing to build a more inclusive democracy, or are we willing to accept the erosion of the protections previous generations fought so hard to secure? https://www.texasobserver.org/voting-rights-civil-rights-future/

#politics #USpol #democracy #history #racism

For the past three decades, #BigTech have been secretly, continuously, systematically tracking all aspects of our personal lives, and they have been exploiting that data to extract more and more profits. To the delight of many technology fanciers, all these nefarious acts are now #AI powered. It is only during this period of exploration that IT had its first billionaire.

We Americans have tacitly accepted this invasive surveillance, in exchange for essential modern goods and services, like toilets that flush automatically after shitting and shit-posting on social media in the wee small hour of the morning. So long as the two parties involved have the “meeting of the minds”, this process counts as a “fair exchange” under law.

It is now evident that our federal #government is using those same #surveillance technologies and procedures to monitor, control, manipulate, and oppress us. Regardless of our nonchalance, this process is "government overreach" in violation of our constitutional rights to privacy.

Why so dramatic a difference between these two forms of privacy violation that employ the same technologies and procedures?

• The first form of privacy violation is a private act that induces us to waste our time and money, individually and collectively.
• The second form of privacy violation is a governmental action that erodes our individual #freedom and our collective #democracy.

But we #American citizens are equally unperturbed by both forms of #privacy violation.

"In May 1818, #MordecaiManuelNoah, a prominent #Jew of his time and a member of the #Madison administration, delivered a discourse on #Jewish #history on the occasion of a #synagogue consecration. One man read #Noah’s words with interest, and took pen to paper to say so.

“Your sect by its sufferings has furnished a remarkable proof of the universal spirit of #religious #intolerance,” the correspondent noted, in elegant cursive. “Our laws have applied the only antidote to this vice, protecting our religious, as they do our civil, rights by putting them all on equal footing. But more remains to be done, for although we are free by the law, we are not so in practice.”

The letter’s author was #ThomasJefferson. 200 years later, there’s still work to do.

The Jefferson letter is one of 75 objects on view at All We Have Standing Between Us: 250 Years of Jews and #American #Democracy, the American Jewish #Historical Society’s new exhibit at the Center for #JewishHistory."

https://forward.com/culture/839450/american-jewish-historical-society-exhibit-250-all-we-have-standing-between-us/

Did we, the Public, even ask for this shit? Or is it being imposed on us?

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jul/21/not-enough-water-for-uks-datacentre-plans-trade-body-says

#DataCentres #UKPol #UKPolitics #AI #Technology #Environment #Democracy

We always knew this was coming.

https://mas.to/@fsinn/114096387983049657

#Trump #Elections #ElectionInterference #ElectionIntegrity #USA #Constitution #Fascism #Democracy

Tom Boland, lecturer in Sociology at University College Cork @UCC is joining the panel to discuss confronting extremism and reclaiming democracy on Friday evening 24th July 2026 at 7:30 pm at the Maldron Hotel, Shandon. All are welcome.

https://motherjonescork.com/2026/07/13/this-land-is-our-land-confronting-extremism-and-reclaiming-democracy/

#mastodaoine #StopTheFarRight #cork #irishpol #antiracist #AntiFascist #ucc #TomBoland #democracy #sociology #StandUpToFascism #StandUpToRacism

RE: https://infosec.exchange/@briankrebs/116925212300259838

Slow hand wave to everyone who told us we were being hyperbolic and “he can’t because the Constitution says…” as if the Constitution were anything more than ink on paper without anyone to enforce it.

Their actions for this entire Trump 2.0 have been completely unconcerned with the unpopularity of their agenda because they don't intend to allow elections to remove them from office.

I remind my American friends, removing this fascist regime only gets harder from here. Do not look away. Organize. Act.

The power is with the people.

#Trump #Fascism #Authoritarianism #Elections #Democracy #Republicans #USA

stux⚡️ boosted

BrianKrebs » 🌐 2026-07-15
@briankrebs@infosec.exchange

WaPo reports the POTUS is expected to make a televised address tonight in which he will argue that foreign intelligence threats have undermined the security of our elections -- and specifically the one he lost in 2020 -- and that this means the federal government should take over elections which are managed by each individual state. The president has tried to hold up every major recent action by Congress in order to cajole them into approving a new law that would require proof of citizenship and and ID to vote in this year's mid-term elections.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/07/14/trump-plans-prime-time-speech-2020-election-allegations/

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va) just issued a statement outlining the facts about the 2020 election and the current election infrastructure. I'm pasting part of it here because it's a good resource for anyone following along and for reporters who have to write about this unfortunate chapter in our nation's history. It's also a preemptive rebut to and probably a preview of what we'll hear from the president this evening.

"Foreign adversaries routinely seek to influence U.S. elections. They spread disinformation, amplify political divisions, intimidate voters, incite violence, and attempt to undermine Americans’ confidence in democratic institutions.

What foreign adversaries have not done, according to repeated public, unclassified assessments from the U.S. Intelligence Community, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the FBI, the Senate Intelligence Committee, and bipartisan state election officials, is alter vote totals, hack voting machines to change election outcomes, or compromise the integrity of the 2020 presidential election. The clearest pattern across recent elections is not successful vote manipulation – it is sustained influence operations, aided and abetted by domestic actors, designed to convince Americans that their elections cannot be trusted.

These facts matter because conspiracy theories about stolen elections cannot become a pretext for weakening our democratic system or stripping states and local election officials of their longstanding constitutional role in administering elections. The answer to foreign threats is to strengthen election security, support state and local officials, and combat foreign influence operations – not to “take over” or federalize election administration based on claims that have been repeatedly investigated and debunked.

Reporters have a unique responsibility at this moment. The press is the only profession expressly protected by the Constitution because the Founders understood that an informed public depends on a free and independent press willing to separate fact from fiction and hold those in power accountable. Regardless of the source seeking to amplify false narratives about American elections, journalists should approach extraordinary claims with the same rigor they would apply to any other allegation: demand credible evidence, consult the extensive public record, engage subject-matter experts with experience tracking foreign intelligence operations, and provide audiences with the full context of repeated findings from the Intelligence Community, federal cybersecurity officials, bipartisan state election administrators, audits, recounts, and the courts. Careful, evidence-based reporting is one of the strongest defenses against efforts to undermine confidence in American democracy. To that end, we have assembled the following reference guide to help reporters quickly evaluate some of the most common claims about election security against the extensive public record developed by the Intelligence Community, CISA, the FBI, bipartisan state election officials, audits, recounts, and the courts.

Claim: China interfered in the 2020 election to help Biden.

Facts: Under the leadership of then-Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, the Intelligence Community assessed that China considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election. By contrast, the IC assessed that Russia conducted influence operations aimed at denigrating Biden and supporting Trump, and that Iran conducted efforts to undercut Trump and sow division. The Intelligence Community, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security all agree that there was no changing of votes or compromise of the integrity of election infrastructure in the 2020 election. Even the Minority View included in the public 2020 Intelligence Community Assessment – which assessed that China may have undertaken some modest influence operations – concurred with the overall IC assessment that there was “no information suggesting China tried to interfere with election processes.”

Claim: Venezuela, Dominion, or Smartmatic hacked voting machines.

Facts: In November 2020, President Trump’s own CISA, working alongside state and local election officials from both parties, declared the 2020 election “the most secure in American history.” CISA stated there was “no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” and highlighted the extensive safeguards built into U.S. elections, including paper records, audits, recounts, certification, and pre-election testing.

Claim: Georgia proves the machines were wrong.

Facts: Georgia’s post-election audit showed the opposite. Because the presidential margin was so close, the state conducted a full manual tally of all presidential paper ballots. The Georgia Secretary of State, a Republican, reported that the audit confirmed the original machine count accurately identified the winner, with differences within the expected range of human hand-counting error.

Claim: Foreign interference means votes were changed, or elections are illegitimate.

Facts: This claim conflates two different concepts. The IC has repeatedly warned that foreign adversaries conduct influence operations, including hack-and-leak operations, disinformation campaigns, and efforts to undermine confidence in U.S. democracy. But those assessments distinguish influence from interference such as alteration or manipulation of ballots, vote tabulation, or voter registration.

Claim: Foreign actors can easily flip a federal election.

Facts: Both the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) have said the decentralized nature of U.S. election infrastructure makes large-scale manipulation very difficult to carry out without detection through intelligence collection, audits, cybersecurity monitoring, and physical security controls. This assessment was reaffirmed by DOJ and DHS in a joint report on the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections – a report mandated by Executive Order 13848, which was signed by President Trump himself in 2018. Indeed, federal funding – much of which took place through appropriations bills under President Trump’s first term – helped shore up the security of state and local election systems in advance of the 2020 U.S. Federal Elections.

Claim: States cannot be trusted to administer elections.

Facts: The Founding Fathers thought otherwise, assigning the responsibility for election administration to states in the Constitution. As a result, elections are administered by more than 8,000 state and local jurisdictions, making centralized or outcoming-shaping fraud extraordinarily difficult. Election security relies on multiple independent safeguards – including but not limited to paper ballots or voter-verifiable paper records, bipartisan poll workers, post-election canvasses, audits, recounts where appropriate, and certification by state and local officials. The federal government’s role has historically been to provide intelligence, cybersecurity assistance, and voluntary best practices through agencies like CISA, the FBI, and ODNI (notably, resources the current administration has curtailed) – not to run or “take over” elections. A bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee investigation recommended more support for state and local election officials, not replacing them with a federally controlled election system.

Claim: Dead people or non-citizens voted in large numbers, or there are more ballots than registered voters.

FACTS: These discrepancies are usually attributable to clerical or data issues, and while there are occasional isolated cases, multiple comprehensive studies have found that noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare. Notably, under President Trump’s influence, many GOP-led states have withdrawn from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) – the nationwide clearinghouse to assist states in improving the accuracy of voter rolls.

Claim: Mail-in ballots or ballot drop boxes are inherently insecure.

FACTS: CISA notes that states employ multiple, overlapping safeguards for mail-in and drop-box voting, including voter signature verification or other voter validation methods, ballot tracking, secure ballot handling and chain-of-custody procedures, ballot reconciliation, and post-election audits. The specific safeguards vary by state, but they are designed so that no single control is solely responsible for protecting election integrity. Importantly, mail-in voting has traditionally been a critical method of ensuring that military personnel can exercise their right to vote and has been commonplace in many states for over a decade.

The factual record is clear: Foreign adversaries try to influence Americans and undermine confidence in our elections, but unclassified government assessments and state audits have not shown that China, Venezuela, or any foreign actor hacked voting machines or changed vote totals in 2020. The real threat is not that Americans’ votes were secretly flipped; it is that foreign adversaries and domestic actors continue to spread false claims designed to make Americans doubt legitimate election results."

RE: https://mastodon.social/@VeroniqueB99/116909666295511851

today’s #altTxt #yaddayadda because this will make living in #nyc 100% better:

❝ MAGA is apparently now boycotting going to NYC because they hate the mayor. They say they will never go there again. I mean is this guy fucking amazing or what? That place is going to be a fucking paradise now.❞

FUCK YEAH! i get to live in the great #antifa republic of #Mamdanistan

#ZohranMamdani #socialism #democracy

Draken BlackKnight boosted

Vee » 🌐 2026-07-12
@VeroniqueB99@mastodon.social

Time to head to the Big Apple!

'Pink Flamingo' protesters in Tirana demand resignation of PM Edi Rama | DW News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOZRLAri70Y #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

Day 37 of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, Albania

“Ju erdhi fundi!” Protesta e 37 radhazi, shqiptarët nuk heqin dorë: Rama, jepe dorëheqjen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFbB5J7-H2k #Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

Day 38 of anti-corruption protest in Tirana, Albania

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC9FOr2p6W4

#Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

MEPs visit Albanian region linked to luxury development project connected to Trump's son-in-law

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

Machine translation: The majority blocked the arrest of the former deputy prime minister / The strong message of the Dutch MEP in the European Parliament

"Mazhoranca pengoi arrestimin e ish-zv.kryeministres/Mesazhi i fortë i eurodeputetes holandeze në PE"

One of the MEPs in the above-linked video makes a report. Audio in English, Subtitles in Albanian. Auto-captions/translation by machine available.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq0adWqLihw

#Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment #EU

Machine translation: "Artists protest: We don't want a singer accused of antisemitism in Tirana. "

Artistët protestojnë: Nuk duam në Tiranë një këngëtar të akuzuar për antisemitizëm

Artists protested in front of the Ministry of Culture because the Albanian gov't contribute millions of euros of taxpayer money to hosting a Kanye West concert.

News report on protest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVya0uVBlzE

Spring 2026 article on Ministry of Culture contribution to hosting Kanye: https://balkaninsight.com/2026/04/30/albanian-pm-announces-kanye-west-concert-despite-antisemitism-concerns/bi/

#Corruption #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Environment

A quotation from Twain

To be vested with enormous authority is a fine thing; but to have the onlooking world consent to it is a finer.

Mark Twain (1835-1910) American writer [pseud. of Samuel Clemens]
Novel (1889), A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Part 3 “The Tale of the Lost Land,” ch. 8 “The Boss”

More about this quote: wist.info/twain-mark/39269/

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #twain #marktwain #connecticutyankee #buyin #agreement #authority #consent #consentofthegoverned #democracy #popularopinion #popularity #power #support

RE: https://loops.video/v/gMKfZjMBDu

@EUCommission I’m absolutely furious about #chatcontrol

EU failed it’s promises about #democracy, #privacy and putting people first.

You didn’t listen. Instead you put corrupt authoritarian and industry lobbyists before the ideals you promised you’d stand behind.

My only consolidation is that it will fail spectacularly, it will do so quickly, it will become a privacy and hacking disaster, and a lot of activists will get to tell you: ”We told you so!”

The oathless charlatans on #CNN are trying to figure out US #Isreal policy around #antisemitism on both the left and right.
Tough topic first thing in the morning 🌄

Israel is the only #Democracy in the #MiddleEast and we have to ask the US citizens if that is important. It's an easy question to answer if you remain calm.
#NoKings

The Swedish Fascists have taken the lesson to heart from last election. Their new posters have the typography of 1970s children's TV show openers and focus on two messages:

* Make Sweden like it used to be
* Cheap petrol / gas

Because #democracy makes an absolute demand: morons must be allowed to vote, and they must be allowed to vote for crooks.

1/2

#svpol #fascism

Why does she still think it is a good idea to run?

Because racism makes people:

1) stupid AF
2) easy to track
3) easy to target
4) easy to monetize
5) easy to weaponize

#FRPol #politics #AdTech #democracy

https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/7/8/marine-le-pen-to-run-for-french-presidency-despite-criminal-conviction

A quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt

It seems to me that America’s objective today should be to try to make herself the best possible mirror of democracy that she can. The people of the world can see what happens here. They watch us to see what we are going to do and how well we can do it. We are giving them the only possible picture of democracy that we can: the picture as it works in actual practice. This is the only way other peoples can see for themselves how it works; and can determine for themselves whether this thing is good in itself, whether it is better than they have, better than what other political and economic systems offer them.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) First Lady of the US (1933–1945), politician, diplomat, activist
Memoir (1961), The Autobiography of Eleanor Roosevelt, Part 4, ch. 41 “Milestones”

More about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-eleanor/28…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #eleanorroosevelt #America #coldwar #democracy #example #exemplar #foreignaffairs #internationalaffairs #leader #model #rolemodel

"Një prej djemve i është thyer hunda”/aktivisti:Presidenti duhet t’i shërbejë popullit, s'ka reagim!

Machine translation: "One of the boys has broken his nose" / activist: "The president must serve the people, there's no reaction!"

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

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

“Balla nxiti policinë”, Lubonja: Diplomacia është diplomatike, të mbështetemi te forcat tona

Machine translation: "(Taulant) Balla urged the police," Lubonja: "Diplomacy is diplomatic; we should rely on our own forces."

The man interviewed is Fatos Lubonja, an Albanian dissident (who was imprisoned under the Enver Hoxha regime), writer, and human rights activist.

Apparently the police used tear gas, water cannons, and also directly assaulted some protestors today, injuring people and also arresting some.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5AwY-NKNCU

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

The report doesn't go into it, but the cops were gearing up for violence all today.

Police assaulted protestors yesterday and this morning they had massively increased police presence, moved in a water cannon, etc. All before the protestors had even really shown up.

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

https://apnews.com/article/albania-kushner-trump-development-protest-tourism-clashes-063288405ee82156e32e6bde500d0569

Machine translation: Andi Tepelena: Rama wants to lead the country to the brink of the abyss and into civil conflict.

Andi Tepelena: Rama kërkon ta çojë vendin drejt greminës dhe në përplasje civile

One of a protest coordination group is interviewed and gives a timeline of what happened today with the cop violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMmzLIu8UNI #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

LIVE | Qytetarët kërkojnë dorëheqjen e Ramës! Dita e 33-të e revoltës antiqeveritare

If the machine translation is correct, the woman in the striped shirt being interviewed said that the ambulances only helped wounded cops, not wounded protestors.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu0WPqOwcog
#Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Mbyllet protesta e 33-të para Kryeministrisë! Nis marshimi, qytetarët drejt komisariatit nr.3

Machine translation: The 33rd protest in front of the Prime Ministry has ended! The march begins, with citizens heading to Police Station No. 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4zBqVNHUY0 #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Protest / Lawyer Aga: 3 Things You Should Do Immediately If The Police Stop You!

Protesta/ Avokati Aga: 3 Gjerat Qe Duhet Te Beni Menjehere Po Ju Ndaloi Policia!

The lawyer says that usually in Albania, when violence starts at a protest, it's the police who start it. And he says he was there yesterday and it was the cops again.

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pWCw29T9Rw

Albanian police use teargas to disperse anti-graft demonstrators

Interestingly, The Independent took this Reuters story, changed the headline to mention Kushner and added another person's name to the byline.

"The protests are a test for Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has been in power ​since 2013 and ​who many ⁠blame for not eradicating widespread corruption or doing enough to improve basic services like healthcare."

https://www.reuters.com/world/albanian-police-use-teargas-disperse-anti-graft-demonstrators-2026-07-02/

#Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania #ACAB

Machine translation: The protesters' lawyer: Here's what happened yesterday at Police Station No. 4! The chief informed me that…

Avokati i protestuesve: Ja çfarë ndodhi dje në komisariatin nr.4! Shefi më komunikoi se…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0rwS1gliCg #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Machine translation: The 34th massive protest is being held today; citizens are demanding the non-negotiable resignation of Edi Rama.

Mbahet sot protesta e 34-t masive, qytetarët kërkojnë dorëheqjen e panegociueshme të Edi Ramës

I'm not certain the protestors will maintain a big presence tonight. What I have heard/read is that tomorrow, July 4, is going to be a massive showing. They're calling as many people to the capital from Albania and abroad as possible.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNG1lCTXv6o

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

Alt...

Screencap from today's live video of the protest showing the front guard of the marchers. There are Albanians of all ages in the front line. They are holding large Albanian flags and people behind them are holding blow-up Flamingo pool toys and picket signs. The news' chyron says "REVOLTE KUNDER GJITHE KLASES POLITIKE: JU ERDHI FUNDI!", which means "Rebellion against the entire political class; Your time is done!"

Machine translation: Shkodër, citizens protest in the city center, demanding the government's resignation.

Shkodër, qytetarët në protestë në qendër të qytetit, kërkohet dorëheqja e qeverisë

A smaller protest in a city in Albania's north, Shkodër. It is the 5th largest city in Albania (Albania has only ~2.8M people in the whole country.)

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

Meet members of Albania's 'Flamingo Revolution' trying to torpedo Kushner-linked development

Fatma Paja, artist and protester:

"For a long time, I have used art as a means of expressing the injustices and frustrations associated with everyday civic life. In Albania, art has always been my way of communicating these messages. I believe this is extremely important because art is a unique form of expression. It transforms an idea into an image while simultaneously turning it into a powerful message that can resonate with people in a different and meaningful way."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34dSvXZBO3w #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Machine translation: The diaspora arrives in Tirana, emigrant: "Rama, resign before it's too late".

Diaspora zbarkon në Tiranë, emigranti: Rama dorëhiqu sa s’është vonë

2nd big official call for Albanians in the diaspora to come home to participate in the Flamingo Revolution. This time in reaction to police violence clearly meant to inspire fear of peaceful protest in public.

Interview with a small sample of diaspora coming in from the EU, the US, and elsewhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWTymcBGt3M

Machine translation: "Over 300 Albanians have set off from London," activist: "The diaspora has always supported the protest."

“Mbi 300 shqiptarë janë nisur nga Londra”, aktivisti: Diaspora gjithmonë në mbështetje të protestës

Interview with Albanian who's been working in the UK for 13 yrs and organized protests at the Albanian Embassy there, but is here today to organize diaspora to Tirana.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imbl4K9pXbw

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

Machine translation: 35 days of revolt! The diaspora "lands" in Tirana today, Albanians do not give up

🔴 35 ditë revoltë! Diaspora “zbarkon” sot në Tiranë, shqiptarët nuk heqin dorë

Summary and analysis of what's happened so far and what is planned today (insofar as that's public).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_kvm2xL-KM

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

Machine translated: Protestor alleges he was assaulted by police. The detained protester is taken to the hospital by ambulance.

Denoncoi se u dhunua nga policia Protestuesi i shoqëruar dërgohet në spital me ambulancë

Cops wanted to provoke confrontation at Thursday's protest. They did and arrested many people, separating which jails they were sent to. They also beat the protestors on site, and reportedly inside the police vans and police precincts.

There were two crises today involving ambulance calls and a man who has epilepsy was taken to the hospital. His lawyer says he was beaten.

Cops are still holding 12 people prisoner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TofI1_6OGi4 #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania #Disability

Reuters report from June 27, 2026, before the cops got violent.


'Full of good energy': Albanian activists find new hope in protest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SskH0RQrArM #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

"The court releases the protesters; two people are placed under house arrest; the others are released on their own recognizance and the charges against them are dropped."

Gjykata liron protestuesit,dy persona në arrest shtëpiak,tjerët me detyrim paraqitje e heqje akuzash

After weeks of peaceful protests with the police keeping cooler heads, this week the state escalated things. This resulted in various beatings and arrests. Some of these people have been held in jail since Thursday.

A court proceeding today ruled on whether and how they were to be held. 2 were not even protesters, BTW.

Most are being released, but aren't completely free in that they are "own their own recognizance" with required check-ins. Some few are under house arrest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pnKH5BMu-k #Balkans #Europe #Democracy #Resistance #FlamingoRevolution #Albania

Machine translated: The 36th massive protest is being held today; citizens are demanding the non-negotiable resignation of Edi Rama.

Mbahet sot protesta e 36-t masive, qytetarët kërkojnë dorëheqjen e panegociueshme të Edi Ramës

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuOzg6qzJj0

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

Slovenia’s new coalition under Janez Janša is accelerating measures that critics say weaken civil society, media, and democratic oversight. 🇸🇮⚖️
Janša’s government also faces warnings over expanded surveillance powers, privacy risks, and digital rights impacts in Slovenia and the EU. 🔒

🔗 https://edri.org/our-work/slovenias-democracy-under-siege-an-urgent-update/

#TechNews #Slovenia #JanezJansa #DigitalRights #Privacy #Surveillance #Democracy #CivilSociety #HumanRights #OpenGovernment #Transparency #EU #Europe #CyberPolicy #FOSS #Politics

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