352 Comments
User's avatar
Libertarian's avatar

Sasha, I think you have been correct and accurate for several years now in describing the Woke as a cult. And as such, one that punishes followers for attempting to escape it. I am thankful you had the courage to.

Expand full comment
Tom Kennedy's avatar

The "woke" are characterized by:

- Egalitarian ideals,

- Use of state power and terror to enforce revolutionary values.

- Suppression of dissent, even among fellow revolutionaries.

- A belief in moral clarity and virtue as the basis for politics.

Oops this also describes the Jacobins -The Jacobins, particularly during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794), were responsible for the execution of approximately 16,000 to 17,000 people by formal sentence. An estimated 10,000 more died in prison without trial. So in total, around 26,000 to 30,000 deaths are typically attributed to the Jacobin-led government during this period.

Executions by guillotine: ~16,500

Deaths in prison or extrajudicial killings: ~10,000+

Notable victims: Queen Marie Antoinette, Georges Danton (a fellow revolutionary), and thousands of perceived "counter-revolutionaries."

We've seen this episode before.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

MAGA does the same for RINOs or anybody who says no to Trump so Pot Kettle black.

Expand full comment
J.M. Calabrese's avatar

In no way does "MAGA" criticize RINOs to the same extent that Democrats smear, cancel, and crush their own for stepping out of line.

You are clearly dealing with TDS. Seek help.

Expand full comment
Roberta L's avatar

HL3 is a leftist troll. Just ignore these posts.

Expand full comment
R H's avatar

Sage advice for any delusional, leftist progressive posts. Waste of time and energy.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Unlike partisan leftists I will raise my objections to them having total control over government I dont see MAGA doing that they will find excuses for their horseshit.

Expand full comment
Nancy Ziegler's avatar

Might I remind you, the main stream media and the last administration canceled anyone who dared question if Biden was fit for the job. It took a coup to bring him down, et tu Nancy

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Thats nice they are not in power anymore in any fashion. The problem of MAGA they want to revisit the past because talking about who actually has current power would require criticism of something they cant.

Expand full comment
C. George's avatar

Maybe HL3 can tell us why John Fetterman is getting that "special" woke treatment.

Expand full comment
SuezCanal's avatar

We don't release their home addresses, show up in front of said homes to protest and scare the kids, call for assasinations, or event *attempt* one. We just find RINOs contemptuous and we wonder how they sleep at night. This extreme activism against those who don't stand on the party line is absolutely foreign to the majority of MAGA.

Expand full comment
J.M. Calabrese's avatar

That's absolutely terrible, using the same tactics to fight the battle! *cough*

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

So its okay so why bitch about it.

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar

Hitler was a vegetarian. If you are a vegetarian, you are like Hitler. Are you 8 years old, Putin-troll?

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

What does that have to do with escaping a cult of bad ideas?

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar
May 13Edited

"GOP mailers" not exactly.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Right..

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

Not true. In fact you are simply projecting this (your) mind set onto people you disagree with and/or hate. What is MAGA to you? Start there and analyze your own perception and gauge that perception to reality. Do you have that level of courage?

Expand full comment
NWCitizen's avatar

MAGA is a cult which worships its dear leader, the orange buffoon.

Expand full comment
Shore111's avatar

Typical MSNBC cult member response.

Expand full comment
Dena's avatar

It’s not the same. RINO’s represent that they’re something they’re not, they lie to get the conservative vote. They Then act as saboteurs when they’re vote or comment is important to the very people they claim to represent. The worst treatment they get is calls for primarying them to get them voted out. That’s democracy.

Expand full comment
Bob's avatar

Okay Putin

Expand full comment
Sarah A C's avatar

This really isn’t true. I know a ton of people who flipped this past election and none of us would be considered Maga at all. There’s zero issue discussing things we disagree with- about the current administration and what their expectations would be or what our hopes/criticisms/wishes would be. I’ve never heard anyone say that they were screamed at or canceled by anyone Maga ever.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Many flipped before 2024 on most ideology and just outright admitted it now. Sasha even admitted she is more conservative than she let on and that includes others like Matt Talibi, Kirn, Tulsi, RFK Jr, Bret Weinstein, Byran Dean Wright. By the way MAGA media personalities does a lot of vocal harassment in the media to anybody who dares question Trump.

Expand full comment
Sarah A C's avatar

But that’s just it, all of those maybe “more conservative than they let on” people are a good example of what I see in my life. People who would never scream at me or even freak out if I totally disagreed with something they said. We might have a conversation about it, but they wouldn’t try to cancel me. The few Maga media personalities, I mean….sure some are smug and awful. Are you allowed to be a Dem if you cannot stand Rachel Maddow?

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Boycotts and cancels are both the same thing in the end and they dont have conservations its just rants and tirades.

Expand full comment
Taz R.'s avatar

MAGA does tend to reduce Rotary Club membership.

Expand full comment
David Cooper's avatar

The reason that stands out most of why I love Sasha Stone so much I think is the way she reads aloud to me.

My 4th Grade teacher, Mrs Goesliing, while we were living in Richmond, Virginia, ca 1969, without my father, because my parents were separated, Mes Goesliing would read aloud to us.

After breaking us in, with some short ones, which were hard enough to sit still through, one day in the Spring she busted out a huge tome. You could hear a pin drop. Everybody went slackjawed thinking: O . M. G.

Circumstances developed quite favorably though. It was the Mark Twain where he sailed around the Horn of South America during real bad weather.

Her story reading time, which must have been all of about 20 minutes, became mesmerizing. A sort of communion maybe, with the endorphins and such. And possibly some Brotherly Love? Sharing the experience together?

Imagine though, this was Richmond, Virginia in 1969. All the other teachers were about Robert E Lee and Stonewall Jackson and the Monitor and the Merrimack. So Mrs Goesliing was "way out there in the briar patch". Much like Sasha Stone in a way. To me at least..

I love you Sasha Stone. Which, btw, to any of my detractors, I'm allowed to say here on Substack.

Expand full comment
BeadleBlog's avatar

This comment is a fantastic start to the day. Thank you!

Expand full comment
David Cooper's avatar

You guys have to hear this: Red Molly, "May I Suggest"

We were fortunate enough to see them in Felton, near Santa Cruz. Fifteen years ago, but somehow the premise still applies.

https://youtu.be/7kbvTPlYgNw?si=CPQKj-1vctvsglkS

Expand full comment
Richard's avatar

The first law of holes is that if you are in one, you should quit digging.

Expand full comment
NothingButNet's avatar

You’re correct, Richard, but one must first realize that he’s in a hole. Dems are so out of touch that they can’t comprehend how repulsive 🤮 their policies are to normal people. Whether it’s DEI, open borders, boys playing girls’ sports (and sharing locker rooms) or trans surgeries for minors, Dems can’t comprehend that normal people with common sense are horrified by those policies. Rather, they think that those who disagree with them are the problem.

This is the culmination of a long, multi decade process during which the Democratic Party has transformed from a party of tolerance and love into a party of hate, condescension and intolerance. As normals continue to leave the party, it becomes even more radical. It’s hard to imagine an ending for the Democratic Party that doesn’t involve an implosion. That will be glorious! 🇺🇸

Expand full comment
Richard's avatar

I am so old I can remember the death of the Democrat Party in 1972, 1980, 1984, and 1988.

Expand full comment
NothingButNet's avatar

Sounds like you’re almost as old as me! I remember those predictions as well, but none of them were accompanied by large swaths of voters migrating out of the party as they are today (Latinos, Blacks, men). Who knows what will happen 🤷‍♂️

Expand full comment
Richard's avatar

The Second Law of Holes is that when you quit digging, you are still in a hole.

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

How do you get out of the hole, Richard?

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

This path leads to a darker place. Who knows how long they will walk this path. The good news for them is their brand is still pretty strong. Even with all this, they barely lost the Senate, House, and Presidency.

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

The social engineering of the young has be going on for quite a while so the depth of insanity is quite deep.

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
May 13
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Craig Verdi's avatar

What does JFK getting killed have to do with it? Nothing.

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

What, insanity?

Expand full comment
Texyz's avatar

True, which is why I'm glad they appear to still be digging their hole, still taking extreme positions, still blinded to the truth of their failures. We need more defectors to come over to conservatism...

Expand full comment
Chris's avatar

Very scary!

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Because we are a ideologically divided nation MAGA and Leftism want capitulation and one state tribalism where only their side rules.

Expand full comment
Cosmo T Kat's avatar

I think you misread the tea leaves. We are a divided nation that was done on purpose. Chaos was the goal. Why do yo disagree so vehemently with people who hold a different POV? Why the hatred? Self reflection is a good starting point.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

That is what our political masters want. MAGA is not as political, or at best a political outsider. This is why MAGA loves DOGE, but the supposed Republican congress won't pass it. The BORG symbiants of the D and R parties want to continue fleecing the rabble. Annual Big Guy cut on the order of $800B. MAGA, and the TEA party are the rabble fighting back. The TEA party was defeated, but MAGA (with a lot of TEA partiers) is ascendent. Maybe they will be defeated too.

What the left doesn't understand, or is not permitted to get onboard with is that Trump wants to be a HERO. That is why no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, re-adjusting the world reliance on the USA largesse (the US essentially subsidizing the rest of the world), and lowering international barriers for medications is all about. Trump would sign a whole lot of leftist ideas (he is in fact usurping them) and if the D party would play along, they would get a whole lot of the POPULAR things they supposedly want. But no, the D and the RINO's really don't want the popular things. What they want is for the rabble to eat a heaping helping of Uniparty TURDS (what they REALLY WANT) to get anything passed.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

It is political as the woke and Democrats and often just as unforgiving and unyielding. They treat any dissention and opposing viewpoints especially against Trump as traitorous. Trump wants to be the hero only to his supporters and cherry-picking facts dont help you.

Expand full comment
Nani Lani's avatar

Me too. Don't count them out. They may be down, but very much alive.

Expand full comment
Kidbuck's avatar

The Leftist CULT isn't "out of touch". They do those things PURPOSELY to destroy.

It's very calculated.

Expand full comment
Roberta L's avatar

You're right. However, these cult members have no clue what the overall purpose is. They are useful idiots in the truest sense.

Expand full comment
Debby's avatar

Exactly…only problem being, they’re in so deeply and have made it nearly impossible to come up for air.

Expand full comment
Kurt's avatar

Sasha, thank you for relentlessly exposing the insanity of the left. Their actions need to be revealed for all to see. Their reflexive instinct is to cancel anyone who does not toe the ever-changing line, who isn’t walking on eggshells. They are behaving like demons in an abusive relationship.

Expand full comment
Robert Italia's avatar

The quickest cure: give their urban strongholds everything they want. No oil, oil products, or internal combustion engines, only solar and wind and batteries. No free speech, no beef, no hetero sex, no children, only millions and millions of "asylum seekers." Wall them up legislatively in their lunacy and INSIST they live accordingly--on their own dime. Then watch what happens.

Expand full comment
A.'s avatar

The big cricket factory (for human food) in Canada went bust today. The govt. had dumped mega-millions into it.

Quelle surprise.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

What I don't understand is why they don't just give all that up themselves. They would save a lot of money if they did.

Expand full comment
Chris's avatar

If only that could be done! Unfortunately living it right now in Portland!

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Do you shitpost for a living?

Expand full comment
Bay Ridge's avatar

The education propaganda machine has to be destroyed. Unfortunately, “For the Children” is the barrier. How to change the hysterical 13 year old hysterical middle school girls unwilling to listen culture becomes the challenge. It is no different with anthropomorphic Climate Change. The Climate is changing and has for billions of years, but the math of anthropomorphic Climate Change does not work, but people are willing to destroy whole economies like Europe because the Totalitarian brain washing has worked so well. I may well be dismissed or attacked for challenging that dogma here or elsewhere if I dare challenge “The Science.”. How many people are willing to listen where their core beliefs are being challenged and likely destroyed?

Expand full comment
NWCitizen's avatar

Yes, the climate has changed for billions of years, long before there were humans on earth. Human civilization has only been around for about 10K years, and the climate has been fairly stable in that time. Since the industrial revolution, toxic emissions, pollution, microplastics etc. are reaching every crevasse & peak of the Earth and the temperature has been slowly increasing. Wild life cannot adapt to rapid changes in their environment and areas of Earth will become uninhabitable.

Expand full comment
Vero's avatar

The climate is indeed changing as it always has, but not in a way that we are going to be happy with down the road. The fact that it’s changing is not the point— the point is that it’s changing in a direction that is damaging the Earth’s ecosystems that sustain us.

Expand full comment
Jaci's avatar

Never met an honest, God following Democrat. You cannot engage them in conversation because they know everything. You know those kind of people. Now they make no sense! Barak was such a fraud and did great harm! Remember the caucus in Iowa when they couldn't talley the votes. Supposedly a new computer system failed which gave them opportunity to put Biden on the ballot. And then how did Kamala get to run for

president? Seems rules do not apply and they get away every time. The ends justify the means....every time. But people are waking up to politics, graft and fraud and public servants walking away with fat pockets and more perks than they deserve or should have earned.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

You cant engage them because you are similar in that line. You know everything and stereotype everyone who you oppose.

Expand full comment
234's avatar

Yeah but the difference is we're right and you're not.....we win, you lose.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

This denialism of anything wrong is why both parties are fucking shit houses right now.

Expand full comment
Jaci's avatar

You have NO idea about how many times I have been dissed for trying to understand the liberal mindset!

That being said, thank you your comment. I will take it into consideration.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

That other post says otherwise but I am fully willing to see how you try to understand them besides seeing them as the enemy.

Expand full comment
Matt330's avatar

I think David Hogg is emblematic of a bigger problem for the party. The Democrats need rural voters but rural voters love their AR-15s. The Democrats could triangulate away from gun control as well as a few other millstone issues like open borders and trans insanity. Instead they are determined to keep the same policies no matter what and are still convinced it is only a “messaging problem”. Then when you put someone like Hogg in you make it even worse by making it hard for state and local candidates to take heterodox positions.

Expand full comment
Richard's avatar

Those of us in the 2A community could see this one coming a mile away.

Expand full comment
Jen Koenig - Adaptive Journey's avatar

Who do they plan on replacing Hogg with? My guess is a female lesbian person of color. I guess they could try and gaslight us with someone like Hasan Piker but I think that will go over with normies as well as that "mans' man" Tim Waltz. :P

Expand full comment
Casey Jones's avatar

If that was their only problem, though, it would be easy.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

I rather have Hogg than the oligarchy that choose Biden and Harris.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

Who do you think really chose Hogg?

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Because its not Harris or Newsom. I am still full liberal but despise the oligarchy leadership which gave us Biden and Harris. Personally I want Harris, Newsom, Biden, and Chuck to all leave the limelight because they are more a detriment then a help to liberal causes.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

This is our cultural revolution. This is what the left calls us to. How far will we go? Disavow your family if they don't play along. Disavow half the country. Those in power know the psychological buttons to push, and once the sociopaths find their way to the top, look out. Of course they are always searching and they will find their way. Our founders understood this and sought to limit what power they could have once they eventually rose to the top. That totalitarian nerve runs deep. I spent some time traveling in China right about the time of the Hong Kong transfer. I saw the old men of the Naxi orchestra play their previously forbidden instruments that they had managed to hide during the cultural revolution.

The people of China liked to say that they would never allow "another" cultural revolution. But really it is in all of them, and it is in all of us. One only has to look at history to see it. Who knows what one will do when the choice comes along with a lot of societal coercion. Just look at all the wokesters who won't have Thanksgiving with their families. A small thing, but small things lead to larger things including the polls that say a significant number would approve of a Trump assasination. Who else is on the list??

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Both sides hate each other with a passion at this point just one side cuts of ties and other side just harps and hates them. Personally, if you keep telling me how much you hate me and my ideology, and I knew you in real life I would cut off ties as well.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

I don't see the hate coming from MAGA. Sure there are some haters, there always are, but for the most part MAGA has been putting up with this for a very long time and has gotten over it. Hate hurts the hater the most.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar
May 13Edited

See the comments to primary and destroy Rep Massie all because he said NO to Trump on his tax bill. The problem of MAGA they refuse to see their own bad behavior no matter how bad and in the open it is.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

THere are always haters. We have 330 million people in the USA. What if there were 100 or 500 hating on Massie on an internet post. Recent surveys find nearly half of Democrats would welcome a Trump assassination. So we are talking tens of millions of people.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

The main haters are coming from Trumps main core (including Trump himself) on Massie who has been a stalwart Conservative his entire life.

Expand full comment
Orenv's avatar

Tens of millions.

Expand full comment
234's avatar

The top 1% already pays an unfair amount of taxes: 40%. How much should they pay, 50%, 60, 80, 100%?

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Actual taxes after rebates and undervaluing is much less than 40 I am for Reagan era before all those breaks and rebates.

Expand full comment
William C Carlson's avatar

I hate no one. I treat everyone how I would like to be treated.

Expand full comment
Jen Todd's avatar

This is how most people go about their lives.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

You might not but many do not share that.

Expand full comment
Jen Todd's avatar

You're generalizations are wildly incorrect.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Just like the generalizations Sasha and MAGA make on Democrats. Both cores have misrepresented each other in the worst way possible and never will forgive each other its always focused in on the hate.

Expand full comment
Jen Todd's avatar

Maybe you've been in a coma for the last eight years?

Expand full comment
SuezCanal's avatar

Friend, why don't you write your very reasoned, well thought-out, clear view of how both sides are a mess and what needs to be done to address it? You seem to want to do nothing but say, "Yeah, but . . . "

Expand full comment
User's avatar
Comment deleted
May 13
Comment deleted
Expand full comment
Pacificus's avatar

A, don't forget Scientology, they were big on separating people from their families.

Expand full comment
Les Vitailles's avatar

David Hogg has rediscovered the oldest rule in politics: tell them what they want to hear and, once in power, do what you want to do.

Bill Maher fell for it.

Expand full comment
Tomas Pajaros's avatar

when "The utopia in the early days of the Obama presidency felt like a new world" meets the wisdom of "when something seems like it's too good to be true ---- it probably is."

.

the JournoList phenomenon is when mass media tossed away all pretense of impartiality, honesty, journalistic integrity. It became a matter of Wokefaith that anything was acceptable in service of the Annointed One and his agenda.

.

that was the corner the DemoProgUnionMedia turned and became a cabal. Now, they are a temporarily failed cabal. No less dangerous. No less anti-democratic, no less dogmatic and committed to regaining power BAMN. Look what they're doing this minute to Fetterman.

.

Expand full comment
JBell's avatar

Brilliant!

Expand full comment
Jen Todd's avatar

I'm enjoy watching the DemoProgUnionMedia Cabal now eating their own. Please don't get in their way.

Expand full comment
JT's avatar
May 13Edited

Sean O'Connell may not have lost his job over his review of Turning Red, but he certainly lost his integrity plus any value he might have had as a critic when he chose to grovel before the scolds...from now on, everyone will wonder "Does he really mean that, or is he just afraid of getting cancelled?" What's worse is that in addition to undermining his own credibility as a critic, his cowering will only serve to embolden the cancel culture. It's sad.

Expand full comment
Bat Man's avatar

President Trump is a GOAT. Up i'm not tired of winning. The Woke's imaginary world was a failure, and now that their fake utopia is disintegrating, they are like asylum inmates denying reality and descending into TDS madness. Ultimately they will resort to violence and blane us for how we react to their lawlessness. Get out the straightjackets. 😲

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

What winning? Trump caused the tariff war and caved but MAGA declared victory. Sunday Trump said there was a trade agreement and Monday it was not just a truce MAGA said Victory. MAGA constantly denies any reality of any Trump failing and they have the balls to say only Democrats do it.

Expand full comment
Bat Man's avatar

Are you in la-la land? Regarding tariffs. The stock market reacts to tariffs rising....crashes. Stock marker reacts to tariff reductions....rally. Only in an imaginary gullible fake reality could that be considered a Presidential retreat. It's a win for America. Thank you President Trump.

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Trump caused the issue and Trump caved its a win for America but Trump caused the mess and you wont admit it.

Expand full comment
Bat Man's avatar

Shallow imaginary logic. 1. We were getting screwed by other nations restricting our trade 2. President Trump raised tariffs to match theirs....the left loses its mind. 3. Other countries are forced to lower their tariffs. 4. Now thay other countries have lowered their tariffs, President Trump lowers ours. Its an historical win. The stock market rejoices. Jobs are coming back to America. 5. The left, in their imaginary cult bubble, says President Trump "caved". What a joke.

Trump won!

Expand full comment
HL3's avatar

Trump got into the trade wars and nothing to show for it and the stock market still isnt fully recovered (Dow Jones still down 3K vs 2024). The problem of your type you only want logic when it benefits you otherwise its willful ignorance.

Expand full comment
Bat Man's avatar

Da, its better under President Trump than the Walking Dead Biden. The problem with you is you think you know what everyone else is thinking. Stick to the issues and dont be so gullible.

Expand full comment
Jen Todd's avatar

You're talking to someone that naively believes that the previous administration's shitshow of dereliction should be ignored. The usual TDS that is emblematic of low-tone comprehension and a chronic addiction to losing.

Expand full comment
Lizzie's avatar

The stock market reflects the wealthier part of the economy; Trump claims to be championing the people at the struggling lower end of the ecomomy. That is why Biden's claim of a strong economy rang hollow to so many formerly Democrat voters. The wealth gap between the upper end and the lower end of people on the economic scale, is a better measure or perhaps the difference between the average and median income.

Expand full comment
Brent Nyitray's avatar

The democrats are a party of hectoring harpies and their browbeaten husbands. Men with an iota of self-respect will have an allergic reaction to that.

Expand full comment
Gym+Fritz's avatar

I’ve got to chime in on the term “woke-right”. Sure it’s an oxymoron, but it seems to be getting a lot of play lately.

I see the phrase as a clever way to dilute the damage that pushing woke ideas has done to the DNC brand; sort of like saying “so what, you did it too”. There is no woke-right. It’s nothing more than a distraction, so we focus on words and personalities, rather than specific issues, like abortion, DEI, open borders, and genital metallization of pre-teens.

Expand full comment
Brent Nyitray's avatar

Toss White Christian Nationalism into that category too.

Expand full comment
JBell's avatar

Just like TFP's constant refrain of "far-right" ! They are wish casting!

Expand full comment
Doc's avatar

The democrats are the highly-educated (indoctrinated) symbolic capitalists using any lever available to stay on top of that pile. Shrill and unwelcome behavior is not attractive nor sustainable.

Expand full comment