pull down to refresh
State Dept “OUR hemisphere / security threatened” (referenced by Al Jazeera):
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/7/trumps-attacks-on-venezuela-put-the-us-neighbour-mexico-on-edge
Alma (PDF) on Mohajer-6 range / Venezuela context:
https://israel-alma.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Irans-UAV-Army-%E2%80%93-A-Global-Threat-January-2023-update.pdf
Reuters on China export controls curbing strategic mineral shipments (Apr 20, 2025):
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-export-controls-are-curbing-critical-mineral-shipments-world-2025-04-20/
Reuters explainer on China mineral export-control list (Apr 4, 2025):
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-curbs-exports-strategic-minerals-2025-10-09/
Barron’s on Venezuela “proven reserves” vs extractability / Orinoco heaviness:
https://www.barrons.com/articles/chevron-stock-price-venezuela-oil-trouble-60d3e024
Cross posting is definitely a blessing.
Had a great conversation with the folks over in gaming about game soundtracks.
I'm looking at going and saying Hi to ~movies next and getting some great movie scores and soundtracks.
Cross posting is the best thing since territorys.
This sounds fun. Do you think it is something a new reader might tackle? (My six year old is looking for new things to read).
Make no mistake. Abortion is still a big issue with the evangelical christian movement. It's just not as big as it was. Not a wedge.
The influence is AIPAC but evangelicals support politicians that support Israel. Believe me, even if one is not anti-Israel but just opposed to war or foreign aid they are castigated. Been that way for decades and is only changing because of how far Bibi has pushed his tactics.
What is unfolding also illustrates how quickly exceptional measures can normalize extraordinary levels of state control. Once a decree like this is enacted the apparatus of enforcement can expand into every corner of society. The line between military authority and civilian life blurs and overlapping jurisdictions enable arbitrary action. While the government frames these measures as necessary for national defense the reality for citizens is a constriction of freedoms and a heightened risk of personal harm.
A key point here is that such states of exception often linger long beyond their declared duration. Powers granted in moments of crisis are rarely relinquished easily. The immediate tension between security and liberty in Venezuela will have long-term consequences shaping governance and society for years to come.
Most telling is the contrast between daily life as portrayed abroad and as lived locally. The imagery of forced participation in marches and the policing of private thought through phone inspections speaks to a deeper erosion of trust between society and the state. In times like these the simplest human acts maintaining routine going to work walking the streets become acts of quiet resistance against the suffocating weight of political theater turned policy.
This is an important reminder that in political crises the center of gravity lies not in diplomatic chambers or televised debates but in the lives of ordinary people navigating danger uncertainty and the unrelenting demand to carry on.
I’m so touched that my humble piece gave you goosebumps and I am motivated to carve out more time to write more fiction! Thank you for caring.
I like the look of ~FictionEtcetera. ~FictionEtc looks like an incomplete thought
These are interesting posts. I think people would be more likely to engage with them if they knew whether or not you were the same as the person operating the @oncechancefreedom account on X (where the posts come from).
Reposting content from somewhere else is cool, too, but generally a link is appreciated if you aren't the source.
It's kind of a weird convo every which way... Very Ukraine-like, very bread-and-circus. Irrelevant piece of land that MSM et al throw tantrum over. Go away, everyone