amanda

[amanda @trallskis]

Between the USCCB, Vatican, and society in general, I just don't get it. I don't get how the importance of "standing up for our doctrine" is more important than the harm it will cause among lgbtq+ youth. I don't get how a giant institution will fight tooth & nail against (1/2)

[Pope Francis – ARCHIVE @Pontifex266Arch]

Christ is risen! These words capture the entire meaning of our existence, for we were not made for death but for life. #Easter https://t.co/s8D2o4WCfV

[amanda @trallskis]

@bb_hay I remember. It was a bad time :,(

[Brian Maxwell @Brian1247356379]

Vivek’s post is a textbook case of narrative misdirection—leveraging surface-level statistics to push a deeper ideological message. On its face, it claims to care about math scores and civic pride. In reality, it functions as a subtle form of blame transference and cultural gaslighting, repackaging complex systemic failures as generational decline.

Let me break it down structurally.

1. The 75% Statistic – Technically True, Intellectually Dishonest

Yes, NAEP data shows that only around 25% of 8th graders are “proficient” in math. But that word—“proficient”—isn’t synonymous with “basic competence.” It refers to a high standard, akin to mastery. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) itself, “proficient” is not the same as “grade level.” Most students scored at or above the “basic” level, meaning they grasp foundational skills.

But Vivek doesn’t mention that. Why? Because the point isn’t to analyze the problem—it’s to trigger moral panic. The number is meant to shock, not inform. It’s the emotional groundwork for a deeper narrative: that America is failing because its youth have lost their way.

But in truth, math scores correlate most strongly with inequity, not ideology. Public schools are underfunded in poor districts. Teachers are leaving in droves. Standardized testing regimes distort curricula. COVID further widened achievement gaps. And states gutting public education (many governed by those pushing this very narrative) consistently rank near the bottom in math outcomes.

This isn’t about kids failing America. It’s about America failing its children—and then blaming them for it.

2. “Only 16% of Gen Z are proud to be American” – A Manufactured Crisis of Patriotism

This figure is drawn from polling, but again: without context, it becomes a propaganda weapon.

Gen Z’s reluctance to express “pride” in America isn’t apathy—it’s critical consciousness. They’re growing up in a nation wracked by gun massacres, climate betrayal, institutionalized racism, and political gridlock. They’ve watched Roe fall, seen LGBTQ rights attacked, and inherited a democracy where billionaires shape policy more than voters.

Their skepticism is not nihilism. It is moral discernment. It reflects a desire for a country that deserves their pride—not because it demands it, but because it earns it through justice, integrity, and truth.

To frame that skepticism as a threat is to invert the meaning of patriotism. True civic engagement requires discomfort. Real love of country isn’t uncritical. It is active, informed, and morally engaged.

3. The Propaganda Mechanism – Inventing Causality to Shift Blame

Here’s the heart of the narrative sleight-of-hand: by placing the two statistics side-by-side—math failure and lack of national pride—Ramaswamy implies a causal relationship. The message is subtle but potent: kids are bad at math because they don’t love America.

This is ideological laundering. It reframes structural failure (underfunded schools, inequality, curriculum chaos, teacher attrition) as a cultural decay problem. It removes the responsibility from policymakers, billionaires, and corporate education profiteers—and places it squarely on the moral character of young people.

This is how power avoids accountability. It doesn't deny the crisis—it reassigns its cause.

And once the public accepts that narrative, the solution becomes predictable: not structural investment, but ideological re-education. Civic pride becomes coerced. STEM reform becomes moral conditioning. Public trust in the next generation is eroded by design.

What This Really Is: Value Inversion in Civic Clothing. This post isn't about helping students. It’s about engineering a culture war. It weaponizes concern for educational performance into justification for authoritarian pedagogy. It tells you that patriotism will fix math, when in reality, economic justice, educational equity, and institutional integrity are what actually move the needle.

It’s not just misinformation. It’s a redirection of moral focus—from systemic accountability to generational blame.

If we want better outcomes in STEM, we don’t need more flag-waving. We need:

Fully funded public schools

Fair teacher pay and retention

Curricula that reflect truth, not ideology

Mental health and food security for students

Broadband access and modern infrastructure

A civic culture that models integrity at the top—not just obedience at the bottom

Only then will young people have a country worth being proud of. And a reason to believe it values them back.

[amanda @trallskis]

To mutuals - is anyone on blue sky? Definitely making the switch!

[amanda @trallskis]

I entered the Once Upon A Mattress Lottery for $20 tickets on @TodayTix! Tap here to enter: https://t.co/rIXszOQbAF

[amanda @trallskis]

I unlocked $30 Rush tickets for Once Upon a Mattress on @TodayTix! https://t.co/wE9iNpTLMJ

[amanda @trallskis]

I unlocked $20 Rush tickets for Green Day's American Idiot on @TodayTix! https://t.co/748ZEydREW

[amanda @trallskis]

@hashtag_dta This is stunning! You’re stunning!

[💀DeathMetalViking💀 @DeathMetalV]

God wanted Donald Trump to live so he can lose to a black woman.

[amanda @trallskis]

Because I’m never on this app anymore, I checked my media tweets to see what embarrassing things I’ve posted and proceeded to delete every pic of my ex and me from this app. Nothing like hindsight to make you see how manipulative those years were 😹

[Shane Claiborne @ShaneClaiborne]

Pretty sure this is not what Jesus meant when he said, “When I was a stranger, you welcomed me.” #WWJD

[amanda @trallskis]

I unlocked $20 Rush tickets for Fat Ham on @TodayTix! https://t.co/UzHCrUs8GB

[amanda @trallskis]

@megynkelly Come on Megyn, have a little fun!

[amanda @trallskis]

@thekylejobrien But will I be there in IMAX? Absolutely.

[life-coach|Speaker| Yvette Ratshikhopha📚🌍 @Yvette_Aloe]

Just a reminder that your soul mate is someone who wants to be with you just as much as you want to be with them. Not this thing where you must decode a persons feelings & interest in you. Your soul mate will choose you.

[amanda @trallskis]

lol who was i kidding trying to make a straight male friend? he ended up being so racist and misogynistic 🥲

[amanda @trallskis]

I have one straight male friend and it truly makes me wonder how straight men find women who actually like them.

[amanda @trallskis]

@whyrev It’s literally a movie of the musical version of mean girls. That’s what it always was.

[amanda @trallskis]

My favorite text chain in decades

[amanda @trallskis]

This bitch is my best friend.

[amanda @trallskis]

This account is now exclusively so I can unlock rush tickets and increase my chances of seeing shows lmao