Republics are systems that require people to compromise with each-other.
But it does. It allows people to connect and exchange information. There's no way to stop fascism without those things, and no substitute for how the Internet, including via its social media faculties, helps us do it.
Charles Johnsonsocial media doesn’t cause fascism but it certainly doesn’t do anything to stop it, either
Reiterating that Musk's literal voter bribery last time was an unambiguous go-directly-to-jail felony, for which people have been successfully prosecuted over vastly smaller amounts. It wasn't just pouring money into a PAC, whatever one thinks of that. It was a black-letter plain-as-day crime.
Yes, Elon Musk’s Vote-Buying Is Against the LawPeople have gone to prison for comparable schemes.www.thebulwark.comMatt NovakMusk got away with his $1 million vote-buying scheme in 2024. Why wouldn't he try something similar this November?
This Roman ring, wishing good life to Senicianus, was found in Silchester. It’s now on display in The Vyne. Its fame derives from the archaeologist Mortimer Wheeler consulting Tolkien on it in the ‘20s. Tolkien was inspired by the idea of a lost cursed ring & the rest is literary history. 🕰️C4thAD
I wrote about the Nolan Odyssey for the LRB. I'll summarize some of my main points below, in case you don't feel like reading all that. www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Emily Wilson · An Uncomplicated ManAs they say at the awards shows, I was humbled to learn that Christopher Nolan has read at least the first line of my...www.lrb.co.uk
The Worst Person You Know Just Filed A Good First Amendment Lawsuit Against A Very Badly Drafted Nudify App Ban There's been a bunch of news this... https://www.techdirt.com/2026/07/30/the-worst-person-you-know-just-filed-a-good-first-amendment-lawsuit-against-a-very-badly-drafted-nudify-app-ban/
The Worst Person You Know Just Filed A Good First Amendment Lawsuit Against A Very Badly Drafted Nudify App BanThere's been a bunch of news this week regarding Minnesota's new law that purports to prohibit "nudification" technology, and the fact that xAI has sued to have the law blocked as unconstitutional. A few things need to be said upfront, because it's very, very easy to just say the tech is terrible, that Elon Musk...www.techdirt.com
I think it's important not to lose sight of the fact that we're not seeing an understandable if regrettable mistake. We're seeing a worldview empowered at the expense of others and deliberately put into action, then failing in exactly the ways its critics said it would.
“Trump has rejected disaster aid for Democratic-run states at the highest rate in the 47-year history of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.” Right now people in blue states are basically paying federal taxes as if they’re colonized territories of red states. www.politico.com/news/2026/03...
When Elon Musk says "zero" children died in Africa from his DOGE cuts, he really means zero children died who are *worthy of any concern.* It's vile coded signaling to his global fascist audience. From me and @polphilpod.bsky.social, a deep dive into Musk's fascism: newrepublic.com/article/2135...
The Real Reason Elon Musk Keeps Insisting DOGE Cuts Killed “Zero” KidsIn his explosive interview with The Economist, the SpaceX billionaire inadvertently revealed something darker about his true vision for the future—and about his affinities with global fascism.newrepublic.com
Anyone who doesn’t see how very satisfied I’ve been throughout production doesn’t get what I most want out of an adaptatation. Mind you, that does tend to happen.
New, by me: The Justice Department is prosecuting an American for allegedly providing U.S. border agents with a "duress" passcode that wiped the contents of his phone when they entered it. We've confirmed the phone was running GrapheneOS. Bypass for ad-blockers: web.archive.org/web/20260724...
US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a 'duress' password during border search | TechCrunchA U.S. citizen has asked a court to throw out the government's claim that he gave over a passcode to border authorities that wiped his phone's data, opening up fresh questions about a person's constit...techcrunch.com
BREAKING: Prodigious US Supreme Court lawyer and SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday following his convictions on federal tax and mortgage fraud charges early this year.
Goldstein, 44-Time Supreme Court Lawyer, Sentenced to Six YearsProdigious US Supreme Court lawyer and SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein was sentenced to six years in prison on Friday following his convictions on federal tax and mortgage fraud charges early this year.bit.ly
this broke me techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/m...
Meta launched a new AI optimism ad set to a song about human extinction | TechCrunchDavid Bowie's song "Five Years," which Meta used in a supposedly inspiring advertisement, is about humans learning that they have five years left to live before the apocalypse.techcrunch.com
This has been up since November. It’s getting attention today because reportedly a footnote was changed which somehow mollified Cassidy into voting for the CDC nominee. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... 1/2
Cassidy shifts on CDC nominee, citing change to disputed autism pageBut the page’s core claim still suggests a long debunked link between vaccines and autism.www.washingtonpost.comJess CalarcoI saw this posted elsewhere, and hoped it was just an AI spoof, but sadly, it's a real CDC Webpage, and the information it contains is deeply dangerous and untrue.
There's nothing to "join" in the Democratic Party. It's a brand with products I spend my vote on once a year at the democracy store. Most people's experience of it is an endless stream of texts that read like scams, their reward for donating or signing a petition. No wonder DSA is growing
Omar WasowWhy has DSA grown? One argument from this research: not just ideology, but organization. Strong membership plus ongoing and continuous participation in social movements creates credibility, committed volunteers, political skills, and durable electoral capacity. www.niskanencenter.org/inside-the-d...
France just became the first nation in Europe to ban teens from social media and, you guessed it, they’re forcing everyone to upload their ID’s for social media access in order to enforce it. www.bbc.com/news/article...
France approves social media ban for under-15sThe law will require social media platforms in France to verify all users age from January.www.bbc.com
Bluesky knew the strait of Hormuz, Graham Platner, and AIPAC democrats were all cooked months before the experts did. Meanwhile Twitter was convinced Spencer Pratt would win and the Odyssey would bomb. Which site is the not-real-life echo chamber again?
Christopher Mimsextremely funny to me that analysts whose entire job is to think about these possibilities are only now catching up to Bluesky Consensus
Did you know King Charles II had a favorite censorship czar by the name of Roger L'Estrange? His job was to carry out the duties of the Crown's shiny new Licensing Act which required publishers (including printers and booksellers) to have a license to publish any works. He LOVED his job. 🧵
TechFreedomThe First Amendment leaves editorial judgments to broadcasters—not regulators. @techfreedom.org was joined more than 50 First Amendment scholars and free speech organizations in filing reply comments urging the FCC to end its “equal time” crackdown on The View. techfreedom.org/50-free-spee...
Life under a two-tier justice system. There is a real process for people to seek pardons. But its been set aside for cronies, crooks and donors
Ken VogelSCOOP: After pardoning hundreds of allies over the course of his 1st 18 months back in the White House, Trump this month quietly rejected clemency applications from nearly 6,000 people who mostly lacked connections & had been waiting in a queue at the Justice Department.
