Larisa Lentjes

Jordan Seidhorn’s experience with government types telling him he’d be arrested if he dared try to rescue Mike Coffey—after rescuing Coffey’s wife Susan—gives us a good practical definition of fascism, courtesy of Lake Lure Town Manager Olvia Stewman: ***** STEWMAN: “The personal aircraft that landed was not only unauthorized but also, they provided no notification that they were coming. And that did pose a potential risk to ongoing operations with search and rescue. And then, you know, also just wasn’t safe for them to be there as regular citizens, especially since we didn’t know who they were or what they were doing there. We had multiple national, local and state resources. That includes the National Guard, NCHART (North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team), SCHART, we had the Coast Guard, state troopers, and then there may have been more, as well. So, they were completing their operations. And you know, in order to do that there, they were not authorizing private aircraft at that time. Any aircraft that would have – that should have gone through there should have gone through incident command as well. I just wanted to note that.” ***** https://lnkd.in/gWQRAuBN This is the fascistic mindset. This is the authoritarian mindset. Not coincidentally, it is the bureaucrat’s mindset. The only operative question to be answered is whether or not this or that government agency provided “authorization”. In the fascistic world of bureaucrats, people do not act unless and until government authorizes them to do so. All moral questions thus devolve to a simple question of “who authorized you to do this?” Having had a number of operational leadership roles over the years, several in crisis situations, I can tell you that there is a viable and functional alternative: embrace volunteerism. You don’t need to command, you merely need to coordinate. You don’t need to restrict, you get to empower. We do not need to wonder if there will be volunteers willing to help in a crisis. That question has been answered—as it is answered in every crisis—in the affirmative. People do want to help. People do give a damn. All the “leader” in that situation needs to do is provide coordination. Someone to say “we’ve got three helicopters in that area already, can you fly over here instead?” There is literally nothing except this fascistic obsession with authority among bureaucrats that prevents government agencies from leveraging that volunteerism to get people rescued and get resources where they need to be going. This is why FEMA is failing in North Carolina. They are wasting their best resource: the caring people all around them who genuinely want to help.

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BlueAnon Takes Center Stage After Trump Rally Shooting The gist: Conspiracy theories are running rampant online, but this time, it's not just the right wing. After a shooting at a Trump rally, liberals are falling down the rabbit hole of "BlueAnon," a mirror image of QAnon, fueled by distrust and partisan echo chambers. Here's the tea: Shooting sparks wild theories: Immediately after the shooting, some liberals on social media claimed the blood on Trump's ear was fake, the whole thing was staged, and the Secret Service was in on it. BlueAnon is born: This isn't new. "BlueAnon" has been around for a while, but it's gaining traction. It's basically QAnon but for the left, with theories about shadowy forces controlling Biden and Trump faking his own assassination attempt. Blame game intensifies: After the debate, some Biden supporters claimed he was drugged, George Clooney was behind a hit piece on him, and ABC News doctored his audio. Threads becomes a hotbed: While X (formerly Twitter) is still a haven for conspiracy theories, Threads has become a breeding ground for BlueAnon. Both sides are guilty: Experts warn that both left and right are increasingly susceptible to conspiracy theories, fueled by distrust in institutions and a hyperpartisan online environment. The danger is real: This isn't just harmless online chatter. These theories can have real-world consequences, leading to violence and further division. Bottom line: The shooting at the Trump rally has exposed a disturbing trend: the spread of conspiracy theories is no longer confined to one side of the political spectrum. We need to be critical of what we see online and be wary of falling prey to these dangerous narratives. References: https://lnkd.in/eN8amUtf

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🚨Return of Freedom: ATF Ordered to Return Bump Stock in Major Legal Win!🚨 In a stunning victory for civil liberties, the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah has ruled that the ATF must return Clark Aposhian’s bump stock and halt its illegal ban. https://lnkd.in/gF7ZG_uP This ruling comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s decisive June victory in NCLA’s Garland v. Cargill case, which struck down the ATF’s unlawful regulation. This landmark decision not only reinstates Mr. Aposhian's liberties but also delivers a blow to unconstitutional policies nationwide. 🎉 The ATF's 2018 Final Rule, which redefined bump stocks as “machineguns,” was declared invalid by the Supreme Court, affirming that only Congress has the authority to change such definitions. This ruling is a crucial step in dismantling the Chevron deference doctrine, which had previously allowed federal agencies excessive power to reinterpret laws. With Chevron now overturned, courts are empowered to reject agency overreach and uphold individual rights. 🏛️💥 NCLA's President, Mark Chenoweth, emphasized the significance of this victory: “This is a glorious victory for all liberty-loving people.” As we celebrate this win, we remain committed to protecting civil liberties and ensuring that government agencies do not overstep their bounds. 🙌

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