You Should Read - March 6

Five Things

Why Techdirt Is Now A Democracy Blog (Whether We Like It Or Not) (TechDirt)

I know that some folks in the comments will whine that this is “political” or that it’s an overreaction. And it is true that there have been times in the past when people have overreacted to things happening in DC.

This is not one of those times.

If you do not recognize that mass destruction of fundamental concepts of democracy and the US Constitution happening right now, you are either willfully ignorant or just plain stupid. I can’t put it any clearer than that.

Distinctive and Meaningful: Why Canada Has the Best-Designed Flag in the World (National Post)

...the Maple Leaf flag routinely ranks as one of the world’s most distinctive national symbols. No less than the U.S.-owned Flags.com puts it in their top 10 list of most recognizable flags.

The Tyranny of Public Opinion (Peter Shamshiri)

If you’re a political party, your goal is not just to know where voters stand, but to know how to move them. Instead, Democratic operatives seem content to reduce their platform to a focus-grouped ephemera, drifting whichever way the political winds blow it.

Anti-Fascist Movements Have Succeeded in the Past. Can They Work in the US? (DAME)

Appeals to legalism and procedure are a waste of time; once the other side has demonstrated that they can break the rules and get away with it, invoking the rules is no longer useful. They have to keep their supporters engaged and convinced that continuing to show up is worthwhile. Once apathy sets in, blatant electoral tampering becomes something people accept with a shrug. Moreover, they have to remain apart from the government to position themselves as a credible alternative, and adopting the government’s positions usually ends with them being outflanked.

Something I Made

I whipped this up real quick to respond to a Bluesky design request. Here's an 18x24 version (dark and white options) suitable for printing for protests.