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@ a262e97d:ddc3e696
2025-02-27 02:32:27
The ancient Greek tale of the ***Sword of Damocles*** tells of a Sicilian tyrant Dionysius II and his courtier Damocles. According to legend, Damocles envied Dionysius’s wealth and power, so the tyrant offered to switch places with the coutier for a day. Damocles eagerly accepted, reveling in luxury—until he noticed a sharp sword dangling above his head, held only by a single horsehair. The looming threat stripped away his enjoyment, revealing the constant peril that accompanies great power. It’s a story about the precariousness of fortune, where danger hovers just out of sight.
## Constantinople
Throughout history, there have been examples of such anxiety affecting beyond the individual onto a collective. One example that captures a society-wide sense of dread is the fall of Constantinople in 1453. This wasn’t just a city on edge; it was an entire civilization staring down its own collapse, with the tension building for decades before the final, brutal crescendo.
Picture the scene: Constantinople, the last bastion of the Eastern Roman Empire, a city of faded grandeur encircled by Ottoman forces under Mehmed II. By the mid-15th century, the empire had shrunk to a shadow of its former self, its walls battered by time and earlier sieges, its coffers nearly empty. The Byzantines knew the Turks were coming—Mehmed’s massive cannons, including the monstrous Basilica, were no secret. For years, they’d lived with the creeping certainty that their world was teetering on a knife’s edge, propped up only by fragile alliances and the hope of Western aid that never fully materialized. The city’s inhabitants—nobles, merchants, priests, and peasants alike—could feel the noose tightening as Ottoman scouts probed their defenses and trade routes withered.
A citizen of Constantinople in those final days might have said something like: “We feast on memories of glory, our golden domes gleaming still, but a shadow looms beyond the walls. Each night I hear the distant rumble of their engines, each day I count fewer ships in our harbor. Our prayers echo in Hagia Sophia, yet I wonder if God has turned His face from us. We are bound by a thread, and it frays with every passing hour.” It’s that Damocles vibe dialed up to apocalyptic levels—splendor undercut by the palpable, collective dread of annihilation.
The drama peaked on May 29, 1453, when Mehmed’s army breached the walls after a relentless 53-day siege. The city fell in a bloodbath: cannons shredded centuries-old fortifications, soldiers poured in, and the last emperor, Constantine XI, vanished into the fray, his fate unknown. Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque, and an empire that had endured for over a thousand years was snuffed out. The psychological weight beforehand—the years of knowing the end was near, yet clinging to a fraying hope—makes it a gut-punch of a historical moment. For your essay, it’s a setting that screams *inquiétude* on a grand scale, a whole society under that dangling sword until it finally dropped.
## French Revolution
More recently, consider the French Revolution. Here’s the bourgeoisie on the eve of 1789 again—wealthy but boxed in, sensing the old order’s collapse. Once the revolution ignited, everyone felt the blade: aristocrats faced the guillotine, revolutionaries feared counter-revolts, and even the masses worried about starvation or tyranny. It’s a carousel of Damocles moments—power shifted fast, and no one knew when the horsehair might snap.
Imagine, if you will, a member of France’s bourgeoisie—a well-off merchant or lawyer, say—on the eve of the French Revolution in 1789. They’ve climbed the social ladder through trade or education, but they’re still squeezed between the decadent nobility above and the restless poor below. The monarchy’s crumbling, the economy’s a mess, and whispers of revolt are growing louder. This bourgeois might describe their feelings with a nod to that old tale: “I sit at a banquet of my own making, wealth and status within reach, yet I feel a blade dangling above me. The nobles scorn us, the masses eye our gains, and the king’s faltering grip threatens to let it all fall. Every coin I’ve earned could be my undoing.” It’s a mix of pride in their rise and dread of the chaos that could snatch it away—Damocles at his feast, tasting both triumph and terror.
The French Revolution is the closest echo of Dionysius and Damocles: a society—especially the rising bourgeoisie and later revolutionary leaders—relishing newfound power (or the chance at it) while acutely aware of the fragility holding it together. The guillotine literally hung over heads, and the rapid turnover of factions (Girondins, Jacobins, Thermidorians) mirrors that precarious throne under a dangling blade. Spain’s war was too chaotic, too fractured for anyone to sit comfortably; McCarthy’s era had menace but lacked the all-encompassing upheaval. France in 1789–1799 is the banquet with the sword swaying overhead—everyone’s a guest, and no one’s safe.
## the Chainsaw of Donacles
In a gray, fluorescent-lit cubicle maze straight out of a dystopian *Office Space* reimagined as a euro-steampunk nightmare, the United States of 2025 hums with the dissonance of 1789 pre-revolutionary fervor. The air smells of burnt coffee and gear grease, the dull drone of bureaucracy punctuated by the hiss of steam pipes snaking along the walls above an endless sprawl of cubicles and flickering gas lamps. The air thick with wifi radiation and desperation.
Donald Trump, newly mandated by a roaring electorate to “drain the swamp,” roams between Mar-a-Lago’s opulent halls, the White House’s command center, and Air Force One’s plush skies. His *arme de prédilection*: a ostentatious gold-tipped pen, wielded like a guillotine’s decree. Trump grins, orange hair wild, and with a flourish, he signs resounding executive orders—EOs that thunder through the bureaucracy — smirking, “The swamp’s toast, folks.”
Enter Elon Musk, tasked with leading the DOGE task force—Department of Government Efficiency. He grips a gleaming chainsaw, a gift from Argentine firebrand Javier Milei, its blade etched with “Libertad o Muerte.”
His Zoomerwaffen—a brigade of Gen Z disruptors in brass goggles and hoodies—are the revolution’s shock troops in hoodies and brass goggles, armed with bare steel laptops and savage memes. These digital sans-culottes wield laptops like muskets, flooding X with memes that mock the Karens (“OK Boomer, meet the blockchain”), crashing servers with decentralized audits, and rigging AI bots to shred red tape faster than a guillotine drops. One Zoomer, vape cloud swirling, hacks a payroll database while blasting dubstep; another livestreams a *“Karen Meltdown Compilation”* as morale bombs. They’re the grease in Elon’s machine, turning DOGE into a viral uprising.
Elon’s Herculean task: slash the bloated federal beast down to size. From a Cybertruck-turned-mobile-HQ, smokestack puffing, Elon adjusts his top hat, a single LED flickering on its brim. “Time to saw through the bloat,” he quips and revs the beast, slashing budgets with a mad inventor’s glee. “Efficiency is the new Reign of Terror. Let's disrupt the guillotine’s monopoly on downsizing.” The zoomers cheer, their screens flashing with blockchain audits and TikTok takedowns of red tape as they slash budgets with blockchain precision, livestreaming the carnage on X.
But beyond the glass-walled boardrooms and armored Cybertrucks, the cubicles stretch into a Bastille of beige despair. Here reign the deep-staters — legions of federal lifers grown plump on decades of taxpayer largesse. They’re the ancient régime of red tape, peering over partition walls with powdered wigs askew, muttering about “due process” while clutching dog-eared manuals of byzantine regulations.
Picture these thousand Karens, each clutching a *“Manager of My Own Destiny”* mug, their lanyards clinking with pronoun pins and union badges; each a snowflake of entitled fury.
And above every sweat-stenched cubicle, a miniature chainsaw dangles by a fraying hemp thread.
One wretched teet-sucking swamp creature, a portly GS-14 named Linda, slams her “TPS Reports” onto a desk, her wig askew, shrieking, “I’ve earned my pension, you fascists! I've earned everything, fair and square!” Linda's personal Chainsaw of Donacles sways with every EO and Zoomer hack. Her ink-stained hands tremble as her steam-powered iPhone wheezes out another ding decrying ever more *“DOGE tyranny.”*
Across the floor, lanyards jangle — pronoun pins flashing — as Karens plot over stale croissants, whispering of jammed printers and leaked memos to fight back.
Trump’s banquet is victory, savored from Mar-a-Lago’s terraces or 30,000 feet up, untouchable. His mighty pen perpetually slashing through the old order.
Elon’s chainsaw roars, Zoomerwaffen dancing in its sparks, dismantling decades of excess.
The Karens sit under their blades — relics of a bloated regime, their banquet of entitlement souring as the threads fray and the swamp drains.
The Revolution’s *inquiétude* steams through: they built this world, gorged on its perks; and now the power they hoarded hangs by a hair Every Musk rev, every Trump signature, every Zoomer meme cuts closer.
“Efficiency’s here. Let them eat efficiency!” Elon tweets, and a chainsaw twitches.
A Karen shrieks. A rope snaps.
---
Hope you enjoyed this steampunk *Office Space*-meets-1789, lovingly crafted by Grok and myself.
One final note on the Zoomerwaffen (a term I picked up from @realKingpilled): They’re the patriotic engine of this upheaval — tech-native, irreverent, and relentless. Think of them as the street agitators of 1789, but with code instead of pitchforks. They hack legacy systems to expose waste, flood social media with viral takedowns, and turn DOGE’s mission into a cultural juggernaut. Their focussed autism amplifies Elon’s chainsaw and Trump’s pen, making the Karens’ downfall a public spectacle. They’re the ones fraying those threads, one savage meme at a time.
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@ 2ed3596e:98b4cc78
2025-02-27 00:24:36
Curious about Bitcoin but unsure where to start? Our Bitcoin for Beginners webinar is designed to help you understand Bitcoin, how it differs from traditional fiat money, and how to safely get started.
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@ f3873798:24b3f2f3
2025-02-27 00:22:15
Muitas pessoas sofrem em silêncio diante das dificuldades da vida. Seja um término de relacionamento, o convívio em uma família desestruturada ou até mesmo situações extremas, como estar preso em um campo de concentração, a escrita pode ir além de um simples ato de colocar palavras no papel – ela pode ser um agente de libertação.
Seja em forma de diário, desabafo, artigo de opinião ou até mesmo a construção de uma história fantástica, como foi o caso de Harry Potter, escrever pode trazer alívio e transformar a dor em algo criativo e significativo.
Escrever é quase mágico. O simples ato de organizar ideias para construir um texto dá ao escritor o poder de viajar para mundos criados por sua própria mente, funcionando como uma verdadeira forma de escapismo.
Em certas situações extremas, essa pode ser a única alternativa para fugir da realidade, um fio de esperança para aqueles que se sentem perdidos na escuridão do desespero.
Sabe aquela fase da adolescência em que pensamos "Meus pais não me entendem"? Se você está passando por isso, este texto é para você!
Por que não transformar suas angústias em palavras e criar histórias maravilhosas sobre seus anseios, sonhos ou aprendizados do dia a dia?
A escrita pode oferecer um refúgio, um momento em que tudo ao seu redor se transforma e seu processo criativo se torna uma lembrança especial.
Portanto, se você está sofrendo com os desafios da vida, experimente colocar seus sentimentos no papel e transforme a dor em arte. Você pode se surpreender com o poder das palavras.
Essa é a mensagem de hoje.
Até a próxima leitura aleatória
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@ ee603283:3bc79dec
2025-02-26 23:50:16
Source Article by the Bitkey team and Undine Rubeze: https://bitkey.build/inheritance-is-live-heres-how-it-works/
TLDR: You wrap your mobile key, and encrypted this wrapped key with your beneficiaries public key. Send this info to Bitkey's servers. Your beneficiary can trigger the inheritance process after your passing and wait 6-months before they can do anything.
6 months seems like a long-time to be able to access critical life-savings funds for your family. This should help you prioritize a 3-6 month emergency "cash" savings for your family. Cash can be in a savings account or physical cash. Additionally, it might be beneficial to setup a life-insurance plan (a simple term-life plan) where the immediate bills and expenses are covered.
#bitcoin #nostr
#devs I tried to import the url into highlighter but got this error: "The page is not reader-friendly"
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@ 8d34bd24:414be32b
2025-02-26 23:07:43
My mind keeps chewing on these verses in Jeremiah. Maybe I can’t get it out of my head because it seems so contrary to everything I have believed regarding to prayer.
> “As for you, **do not pray for this people, and do not lift up cry or prayer for them, and do not intercede with Me; for I do not hear you**. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and *they* pour out drink offerings to other gods in order to spite Me. Do they spite Me?” declares the Lord. “Is it not themselves *they spite,* to their own shame?” (Jeremiah 7:16-19) {emphasis mine}
Before continuing with this article, make sure you have read [What? Do Not Pray For ...](https://trustjesus.substack.com/p/what-do-not-pray-for), so you have my background thoughts on this passage.
After writing the first post, I began thinking about how this verse applies to American Christians today in my post A Hard Question With an Uncomfortable Answer. In my first two articles, I basically came to the conclusion that we should not pray blessings on those who were sinning and rejecting God, but that praying for repentance and turning back to God would be an allowed and even honored prayer. Then today, while listening to a sermon from Revelation, I thought, “Is there a time we are called to not pray for someone or some nation because God has given them their choice and He is no longer calling them to Himself?”
## When God Hardens a Heart
There are a lot of verses where God says that he hardened their heart. The most well known is regarding the hardened heart of the Egyptian Pharaoh in Exodus where we read a succession of verses about a hardened heart:
First Pharaoh hardens his own heart:
> But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, **he hardened his heart** and did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. (Exodus 8:15) {emphasis mine}
then he hardens his heart again:
> But **Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also**, and he did not let the people go. (Exodus 8:32) {emphasis mine}
then he hardened his heart and his servants hearts:
> But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, **he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants**. (Exodus 9:34) {emphasis mine}
then God hardens Pharaoh’s heart:
> Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for **I have hardened his heart** and the heart of his servants, **that I may perform these signs of Mine** among them, (Exodus 10:1) {emphasis mine}
God didn’t harden Pharaoh’s heart initially, but after repeated choices by Pharaoh, God gave Pharaoh the hardened heart he chose. Also, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart in order to perform signs that He wanted to perform to show Himself to the Israelites and the Egyptians. He did it to fulfill His will and His plan.
Once God chose to harden Pharaoh’s heart, would it be praying according to God’s will to ask that Pharaoh repent? As uncomfortable as this makes me, I don’t think it would be praying according to God’s will to pray for repentance for Pharaoh.
## When God Declares His Judgment
In Jeremiah 27, God has stated that Babylon will conquer Judah, take away the people, and take the golden implements from the Temple. He says that those who want to live must submit to Babylon. This is God’s will. Many supposed prophets were prophesying that Babylon will not capture Judah and then after Judah was conquered, that they would be brought back after 2 years contrary to God’s will and declaration of 70 years of captivity.
> Then I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you, saying, ‘Behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house will now shortly be brought again from Babylon’; for they are prophesying a lie to you. Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city become a ruin? But if they are prophets, and **if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now entreat the Lord of hosts** that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah and in Jerusalem may not go to Babylon. (Jeremiah 27:16-18) {emphasis mine}
Regarding these so-called prophets, God says, “*if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now entreat the Lord of hosts*.” This sounds like they should pray thus only if “*the word of the Lord is with them*,” or basically if they are praying according to God’s will. Conversely, since the passage makes clear these “prophets” are not speaking God’s word, nor supporting God’s will, then God should not be entreated (asked in prayer) to act contrary to His will.
## When God Gives Them Over to Their Sin
Similarly, in the New Testament it says of God:
> For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and **their foolish heart was darkened**. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
>
> Therefore **God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts** to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
>
> For this reason **God gave them over to degrading passions**; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
>
> And **just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind**, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:21-32) {emphasis mine}
There seems to come a point at which people have rebelled against God and His ordinances for so long that God gives them over to the desire of their hearts and the consequences of their actions.
## Does This Mean We Are Not To Pray At All?
Is there a point at which God doesn’t want us to pray for their repentance? I’m not willing to say “definitely,” but it kind of looks like that may be the case. I don’t think this is a common situation that we need to be worried about. In most cases, even with very evil people who have done us great harm, we are definitely called to pray for their repentance and salvation. “*But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you*.” (Matthew 5:44) Still, there may be situations where God says, “I have given them over to the lusts and rebellion of their heart to the destruction of their soul.” There may be situations where a person or a nation has to be punished to fulfill God’s good plan. Praying against His will and plan would be fighting against God and not praying in alignment with His will.
In Ezekiel chapter 3, the passage is talking specifically about sharing God’s word and being a watchman to the people rather than specifically regarding prayer, but I think this verse is still helpful in determining God’s will for our prayers.
> Moreover, I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them, for they are a rebellious house. (Ezekiel 3:26)
In this occasion, God has given Ezekiel the role of watchman and warned him that he will be held accountable for warning the people, but their decision to obey is on their own heads. Then God tells Ezekiel that He will “*make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be mute and cannot be a man who rebukes them*.” I believe if God doesn’t want us to pray for someone or something and if we are seeking His will, He will make us mute so we cannot pray for them. Why would He do this? Either because the person, group, or nation are rebellious and/or because the prayer is contrary to His will. I believe God will help His devoted followers to pray according to His will.
I am still fleshing out this idea in my mind and trying to seek the truth. Let me know how you interpret these verses or especially if you have other verses that clarify this matter. I am trying to seek the truth.
I also want to be very careful with this idea. We are much more likely to NOT pray for repentance and salvation for people that we should be praying for than we are to pray for someone for whom we shouldn’t pray. I definitely don’t want anyone to use this post as an excuse to not pray for people or nations.
May our God and Creator guide us and use us for His good purpose and according to His will. May He guide our prayers in perfect alignment with His will and may He draw us closer to Him every day.
Trust Jesus
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@ 000002de:c05780a7
2025-02-26 22:31:11
These people have serious issues.
[Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson](https://sites.prh.com/originalsin)
> From two of America’s most respected journalists, an unflinching and explosive reckoning with one of the most fateful decisions in American political history: Joe Biden’s run for reelection despite evidence of his serious decline—amid desperate efforts to hide the extent of that deterioration
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/898271