A cog in the wheel of public service. The kind that often requires a helmet. Aspirations outpacing capacity. Veteran of war and peace and then a bit more war.
World as we knew it, USA
Joined December 2011
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Spot on.
I'm an American, a U.S. Army veteran, and I live in Europe.
And I'll tell you something that might upset a few people back home.
I want my fellow Americans to enjoy the same rights, freedoms, and quality of life that millions of Europeans already enjoy.
I want Americans to have access to affordable healthcare without worrying about going bankrupt because they got sick.
I want American students to pursue higher education without burying themselves in decades of debt.
I want Americans to enjoy stronger digital privacy laws, meaningful consumer protections, paid parental leave, and guaranteed paid vacation.
I want police officers held to rigorous standards of accountability, where de-escalation is emphasized and deadly force is genuinely a last resort.
I want Americans to understand that freedom isn't just about what the government cannot do to you. It's also about having the security and opportunity to actually enjoy your life.
And before someone starts screaming about socialism, understand something.
European countries are capitalist democracies. They have private businesses, entrepreneurs, private property, competitive markets, and individual liberties. They've simply made different decisions about what protections their citizens should enjoy.
Europe isn't perfect. No place is. But pretending America has nothing to learn from other democracies is ridiculous.
I served my country. I love my country. And I don't believe patriotism requires pretending that America is the best at everything.
In fact, I believe the exact opposite.
Real patriotism means wanting your country to improve, even when that means admitting another country does something better.
I don't want Americans to have fewer freedoms.
I want them to have MORE.
More protections. More opportunities. More security. More accountability. More freedom to live their lives without being financially destroyed by illness, education, or circumstances beyond their control.
And having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, I know that much of this is possible.
We should stop asking why Americans can't have these things and start asking why they're expected to settle for less.
W. Johnson retweeted
The GRU hacked into Jared Kushner's iPhone. Dutch military intelligence (MIVD) then recruited a GRU spy who gave them access to the hacked phone. What MIVD discovered was that Kushner had access to two bank accounts --one Azerbaijani, the other Israeli --where Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati ruler Mohammed bin Zayed deposited money. It sounds like a slightly far-fetched episode of "Slow Horses," but it's real. And it proves just how eye-poppingly corrupt this administration was and continues to be as its "special envoy" decides the fate of tens of millions in Europe in the Middle East. Simply incredible reporting by Matthew Cole, drawn from his new book on Kushner. vanityfair.com/story/jared-k…
A thread that tugs at my Cold War heart strings.
W. Johnson retweeted
The greatest tragedy of the last 20 years is that we, as a country, were perfectly set up for another American era of greatness. All the fundamentals lined up.
All that was needed was sanity by the electorate, and a modicum of competence by leadership.
What a fucking waste.
W. Johnson retweeted
Another way to think about Trump announcement today: If he increased US diesel imports from Canada by 4%, he would gain as much fuel as from this Russia deal. But the Canadians are global super-villains, so who wants to buy from them when you could enrich Putin instead?
I hate when they ship your purchase through @USPS. Guaranteed to arrive late. Every. single. time. For God’s sake, stick with UPS or FedEx.
1. Receive shipping information.
2. Note that it’s being shipped through @USPS.
3. Add at least one additional day to the arrival date.
4. Fuck your plans.
W. Johnson retweeted
"Planes are different today. You used to have a little steering wheel or whatever. Today, they fly differently."
Admit it, Republicans. When you see a quote that fucking stupid, you know who said it.
W. Johnson retweeted
In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce. There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of humanity. For this reason, the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions to safeguard our humanity.
W. Johnson retweeted
A passenger on the Dubai–Tel Aviv flight recounts:
“We are currently in Saudi Arabia.
One of the crew members attacked the pilot with a knife and disabled the aircraft’s systems. Yaniv (pictured?) and another passenger stormed the cockpit and subdued the attacker.
Luckily, there were two more pilots on board. They were the ones who managed to land the plane.”
Well, yes. Overall, the probability that a plane full of Israelis will contain a trained assault team, two additional pilots, and, statistically, at least one cardiac surgeon, psychologist, lawyer, and diamond dealer is substantially higher than 50%.
Just more accurately portraying the number of countries we maintain diplomatic relations with.
