M&T Bank’s Post

This theoretical frame has been enormously helpful to me in understanding how authoritarianism works. Check out the video!

🏛 The Horizons Project has been focusing on how various Pillars of Support, notably faith-based organizations, businesses, unions & professional associations, and veterans/military groups, have contributed to authoritarian systems and how they have supported pro-democracy movements in the US and globally. Check out this short video on what pillars of support are, why they matter, and what it means to both engage and pressure key pillars as part of pro-democracy organizing. 📣 This week we released 25 "caselets" together with the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University exploring the specific tactics and strategies these sectoral Pillars have employed throughout history and around the world to support a pro-democracy agenda. 👀 Check out the link to these caselets in the comments.

Well, well, well...

I’m looking forward to being a part of next week’s All-Volunteer Force (AVF) Conference, sponsored by the Institute for Defense Analyses, the Center for Naval Analysis, and RAND. This conference will bring together policymakers, Service and DoD representatives, stakeholders, and researchers to discuss the current status, trajectory, and future of the AVF. The truth of the matter is, in its present state the AVF is on an unsustainable path forward – both from a cost and recruitment standpoint – and our nation’s leaders must recognize this and work to identify the policies and initiatives needed to strengthen and enhance a ready, sustainable, and affordable AVF that will stand the test of time. I co-authored a report for the Atlantic Council (Sept. 2023) with Former National Security Advisor; Supreme Allied Commander, Europe; and Marine Corps Commandant, General James L. Jones, in which we reflect on the history of the AVF and solutions that have been proposed. Read more here. https://lnkd.in/e3tm6D9v

The idea that illegal immigrants need a "pathway to citizenship" often overlooks an existing route: legal immigration. The U.S. already provides multiple avenues for individuals to immigrate lawfully, including family sponsorship, employment-based visas, and asylum processes. For those who wish to become American citizens, the legal immigration system is the proper channel. The real issue lies not in the lack of a pathway but in the lack of political will to enforce existing immigration laws. Instead of focusing on creating new pathways, enforcing current laws would address illegal immigration more effectively. However, political debates often sidestep enforcement, driven by varying ideological agendas, which complicates the process. This has resulted in a complex system that allows illegal immigration to persist, while lawful immigrants face lengthy backlogs and bureaucracy. Ultimately, the immigration system itself isn't broken; what's missing is the commitment to uphold and execute the laws already in place. If the system was enforced as intended, it would maintain fairness for those who respect the rules and deter illegal immigration, ensuring that those who enter and remain in the country do so legally.

“Our ultimate goal is to help the dreamers, but get a path to citizenship for all 11 million or however many undocumented there are here.” - Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer Your tax dollars are being used to entice illegal entry into our country from all over the world, while we have Veterans and other American citizens in trouble, then the Democrat Party wants to reward this even more and make them citizens? I wonder why that is? Any ideas? Bueller? If this Democrat Party stays in the WH beyond Jan. 2025, you’re going to experience what living in a former first world country is like very quickly, right here. We’re currently on a dangerous trajectory that leads to losing our reserve currency status. If this occurs the inflation we’ve experienced during Biden Harris will be nothing. When people can’t buy wonder bread for less than $10 a bag, people will give in to social programs more and more. This will create a socialist state at first and eventually communist one to control the discontent. It’s coming and your choice is very important November 5th. This is not just another election. This is it. 🇺🇸 As always please consider sharing for exposure and share your thoughts, for others consideration. We need to have a serious conversation both here and in the living room and kitchen with our families. We all have family members doing everything they can to ignore what’s going on, you need to speak with them and show them things like this. People don’t realize what the left is doing because they’re not paying attention. No service member that ever died for us, did so protecting a socialist or communist state in decline. They paid the ultimate price for freedom. #breakingnews #news #trending #trendingnews #military #army #navy #marines #coastguard #airforce #nationalguard #airnationalguard #armyreserve #navyreserve #airforcereserve #coastguardreserve #merchantmarine #veterans #freedom #usa #thisweek #thoughts #dnc #rnc #democrat #republican

CHUCK SCHUMER AND THE DEMOCRATS WORLD!!! - 🌎 This is what happens when you allow Marxist socialism to take root. The so-called "democratic" system they claim to uphold is nothing more than a façade for power and control, draped in lies that promise a better life for the middle class. Open borders, no matter the devastating cost to those they supposedly represent. The truth behind their policies is exposed, and as the American voter begins to understand, they respond by flooding the country with anyone willing to keep them in power. PERIOD. The Democratic Party’s leadership and policy promote all this, and even worse, are aiding and abetting it. This isn’t a new tactic. It’s about destroying American values at ALL COSTS, even if it means tearing apart the lives of legal, law-abiding Americans. The recent event paints a horrific picture: an illegal alien approached Officer Burke's vehicle, recording with his phone, muttered a few words, and then executed the officer in cold blood. As the head of the Police Union put it, "It’s now a war zone, and the days of trivial 911 calls are gone." This November, the stakes couldn't be higher. The decisions we make at the ballot box will either restore American values or lead us further into chaos. VOTE DIFFERENTLY THIS NOVEMBER OR WE ALL WILL SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES! Our nation's future, safety, and values depend on it.

“U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, along with Don Bacon (R-NE) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Quality of Life Panel, sent a letter calling on President Biden to support improving the quality of life for service members and military families in his Fiscal Year 2025 Department of Defense Budget request. In the letter, the members wrote, “Our service members represent the best our nation has to offer and are central to our national security. The All-Volunteer Force has been the foundation of America’s national defense for the last five decades. Yet the committee’s quality of life inquiry thus far has revealed an alarming erosion of military quality of life that, if not addressed quickly, will soon place the All-Volunteer Force at risk. Reversing this decline will require a national commitment of resources to address quality of life concerns for service members and their families.” Read the full letter: https://lnkd.in/gpEFrtYA #QualityOfLife #DearMrPresident #empowerment #Advocacy #MAA #MissionAlphaAdvocacy #volunteer #autism #neurodiversity #specialneeds #MilitarySpouse #militaryfamily #Army #Navy #AirForce #Marines #CoastGuard #SpaceForce #advocate

"𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐄𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐀 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧" In a significant development, the parliamentary committee has advocated for equitable benefits for our brave Agniveers, aligning them with the privileges accorded to regular military personnel. Recognizing the inadequacy of existing provisions, the committee emphasized the extension of benefits to the families of Agniveers who make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Under the proposed scheme, families of Agniveers slain in action will now receive the same benefits as those provided to the next of kin of regular soldiers, including pension rights. Additionally, the committee has recommended augmenting the ex-gratia amount for families of soldiers who perish in the line of duty. This move underscores a commitment to honor and support our valiant defenders and their families. #agniveers #military #honoringservice #nationalsecurity #positivenews

Juneteenth On June 19, 1865, Galveston, Texas, held a momentous celebration of freedom. Despite the Civil War's conclusion on April 9, 1865, slavery persisted in various states, with Texas being the final Confederate state to abolish the practice. The 135th US Colored Troops, which included my great-grandfather, played a pivotal role in paving the way for General Sherman's journey to Texas. For more information, see my blog on Diggingdeepcoach.com #Juneteenth #usct