It has been a quiet day here, thankfully, although I’ve watched the news from South Korea with a sense of urgency. Conservative, anti-feminist President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law Tuesday night over what he claimed was concern about domestic factions he characterized as “anti-state,” saying they supported North Korea. It didn’t take much imagination to see something like that happening here under Donald Trump.
By Wednesday morning, local time, martial law was lifted after outraged lawmakers refused to accept his decree, which would have led to a ban on political activity and censorship of the press. There is a lesson for us, of course—how easily something like this can happen, even in an established democracy, and how important it is to be prepared, to activate public awareness and outrage, and to ensure legislatures will be a check and balance against such a power grab.
As interesting as the news from South Korea was that, for the first time, it was possible to follow real-time developments on Bluesky, not on Twitter. As legislators forced their way into the National Assembly to vote against Yoon’s decree, it was Bluesky, not Twitter, where the most recent developments were available.
It’s a watershed moment, and that comes as something of a relief. The only thing left of Twitter is the need to hang onto your name so that no one else can scoop it up and use it. Bluesky is developing into a full blown free marketplace of ideas, something we’re going to need. I hope you’ll come over and follow me there, I’m @joycewhitevance. Click on this link to find me and leave yours in the comments here, so I can follow you back.
That’s the serious news for today, I’m going to turn in early. But I’ll leave you with my favorite images from today.
Even though our nighttime temperatures this week are below freezing, and it’s not likely to last long, the banana tree in our front yard is blooming, and if you look carefully, you’ll see a couple of bunches of bananas above the huge blossom. I’m inordinately proud of this tree, although all I do is water it.
Leeda is completely unimpressed by the cold weather and doesn’t understand why I won’t sit down with her and let her hop up on my lap to eat her favorite treats. Maybe tomorrow, friend? It was too cold for me today.
Have a good night.
We’re in this together,
Joyce
