F. Berthold

You can't defeat this nation!🙌🫡🇺🇦 Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive continues, with Russian positions under pressure in several directions🫡 Defenders are reclaiming territory, Fighters have liberated Perebudova, Komar and Fedorivka and have advanced near Vesele. Respect, guys🙌🫡

We are former CIA officers, FBI agents, diplomats, and military leaders who spent our careers defending America from global threats. But protecting our constitutional democracy isn't something we can do alone, defending democracy requires all of us. Stand firm, get organized, and make your voice heard on November 3rd. VOTE for democracy. VOTE for freedom. VOTE for our future. Tap the link in our bio to check your registration, access essential resources, and build your voting plan today! #HoldFast #Vote

Trump Is Not the Disease. America Has a Much Deeper Problem. In September 2018, speaking at the University of Illinois shortly before the congressional midterm elections, Barack Obama said something that sounds even more relevant today: “He is a symptom, not the cause.” He was talking about Donald Trump, but his message concerned something much larger than one politician. Obama was warning Americans about the forces that had made Trump's rise possible. Trump did not create America's divisions. He inherited a society already struggling with economic anxiety, racial resentment, cultural conflict, and declining trust in democratic institutions. What made him politically successful was his ability to transform these existing frustrations into a powerful movement built around anger, fear, and the promise of restoring a supposedly glorious past. For decades, millions of Americans had watched factories close, jobs disappear overseas, and entire communities lose their economic foundations. Globalization and technological progress enriched some while leaving others behind. The financial crisis of 2008 deepened the conviction that the system served wealthy elites while ordinary citizens paid the price. People wanted explanations, and politicians offered them convenient enemies. Immigrants, foreign competitors, minorities, intellectuals, and political opponents became easy targets. Complex economic problems were reduced to emotional slogans. Instead of explaining why industries were disappearing or wages stagnating, it became easier to blame Mexico, China, or supposedly disloyal Americans. Meanwhile, demographic and cultural changes created another source of anxiety. Greater equality represented progress for millions, but others interpreted it as a threat to their traditions, identity, and social position. The fear of losing a familiar world became fertile ground for politicians promising to turn back the clock. Trump recognized this opportunity. He did not need to invent resentment. He only needed to give it a voice, identify enemies, and convince frustrated voters that he alone could protect them. Political disagreement became a struggle between patriots and traitors. Compromise began to look like weakness, while aggression was celebrated as strength. Obama also warned about political disengagement. When citizens lose faith in elections, institutions, and public officials, they leave the political arena to those most determined to dominate it. Democracy cannot survive on constitutional guarantees alone. It requires people willing to defend its principles even when they are disappointed by its results. History provides troubling examples of how existing grievances can be weaponized. Hitler exploited Germany's humiliation and economic suffering. Putin cultivated Russia's imperial nostalgia and resentment over the Soviet collapse. Their historical circumstances and crimes differ profoundly, but the underlying political mechanism is recognizable: fear and humiliation can be transformed into loyalty to a leader promising national resurrection. And here lies America's greatest danger. Many people imagine that removing Trump from politics would automatically restore normality. Replace him with a respectable president, abandon the inflammatory rhetoric, and everything will return to the way it was. But what happens to the millions who embraced his message? What happens to the distrust, economic insecurity, cultural hostility, and appetite for political revenge? These forces will not disappear simply because one man leaves the White House. Another politician could eventually inherit them. Perhaps someone more disciplined, more calculating, and better equipped to weaken democratic institutions without attracting the same resistance. That was the deeper meaning of Obama's warning. The real challenge is not merely defeating a politician but understanding why his message became attractive to so many people.

I’m hearing that Democrat turnout in Texas is really good today. Keep on voting for Talarico! Can’t stop won’t stop.🕺🇺🇸

Saboteure hatten es in Litauen auf Starlink-Anlagen abgesehen. Nun hat die Regierung in Vilnius zwei verdächtige Deutschtürken ausfindig gemacht, die sich in Deutschland aufhalten sollen. heise.de/news/Litauen-Mutmas…

MIDTERMS - November 3, 2026 - 435 House seats - 33 Senate seats DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY = IMPEACHING TRUMP And if we can get a SUPER majority in the Senate, he could potentially be removed from Office too. If you want this authoritarianistic, dictator wannabe shit show to end — THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. Please, don't give me your negativity about elections. THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO - DOUBT OUR ELECTIONS. Trump has no control over the midterms. No legal authority to stop the midterms. No power to prevent the midterms from happening. He will, no doubt, try to rig the midterm elections - like he did in 2016, attempted to do in 2020, and did in 2024 — BUT HE CANNOT CANCEL THE MIDTERMS. We don't need a blue wave. We don't need a blue tsunami. We need to politically nuke the entire Republican Party.