Author | Lightnews

Ivo Vegter

@ivovegter.bsky.social

770 followers 1.3K following 500 posts

South African. Columnist at The Daily Friend (http://dailyfriend.co.za/author/ivo/). I advocate classical liberalism, free markets, science and reason. I oppose authoritarianism, socialism, nationalism, and prejudice.

dailyfriend.co.za

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 18h

The West needs more immigration, not less
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/11/04/t...
(My latest column. Across the developed world, populist politicians are riding a rising wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. It will sink the West.)

The West needs more immigration, not less - Daily Friend

Across the developed world, populist politicians are riding a rising wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. It will sink the West.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 18h

The West needs more immigration, not less - Daily Friend

Across the developed world, populist politicians are riding a rising wave of anti-immigrant sentiment. It will sink the West.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

U.S. poised to strike military targets in Venezuela in escalation against Maduro regime
www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...
(Mr "I don't start wars, I end them" is being awfully adventurous.)

U.S. poised to strike military targets in Venezuela in escalation against Maduro regime

The Trump Administration has made the decision to attack military installations inside Venezuela and the strikes could come at any moment, sources with knowledge of the situation told the Miami Herald...

www.miamiherald.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

Three minutes that tells you all you need to know about Joe Rogan, and why I'll never listen to him. He's rude, ignorant, arrogant and gullible.
youtu.be/naIegDE5JxU

Joe Rogan vs Primatologist on the Bondo ape - w/ subtitles

YouTube video by Mystronox

youtu.be

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

An ode to the rich
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/31/a...
(My latest column. It is easy to hate the rich. Entire economic systems are based on it. Yet we should cherish the rich, instead of always trying to tax their wealth away.)

An ode to the rich - Daily Friend

It is easy to hate the rich. Entire economic systems are based on it. Yet we should cherish the rich, instead of always trying to tax their wealth away.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 5d

They're even cooler when you're high.

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 5d

Trump cuts fentanyl tariffs on China to 10%, says U.S. reached rare earths deal with Beijing
www.cnbc.com/2025/10/30/t...
(So he's fine with fentanyl after all. He just wants magnets. 🤷)

Trump cuts fentanyl tariffs on China to 10%, says U.S. reached rare earths deal with Beijing

Trump said he will be going to China in April, followed by a trip by Xi to the U.S. without specifying a timeline.

www.cnbc.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 6d

Argentina’s libertarian experiment gets electoral boost
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/29/a...
(My latest column. Critics were eagerly anticipating the fall of Javier Milei, but a timely intervention by Donald Trump means he lives to fight another day.)

Argentina’s libertarian experiment gets electoral boost - Daily Friend

Critics were eagerly anticipating the fall of Javier Milei, but a timely intervention by Donald Trump means he lives to fight another day.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 7d

US gov't uses Halo images in a call to 'destroy' immigration
www.pcgamer.com/games/us-gov...
"Comparing immigrants in the US to a parasitic alien life form that infects and annihilates advanced societies is not [just] deeply offensive, it's also rooted in the worst of human history."

US government uses Halo images in a call to 'destroy' immigration, Microsoft declines to comment

The social media posts also included an image of US president Donald Trump dressed up as Master Chief.

www.pcgamer.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 7d

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 2)
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/28/w...
(My latest column. Despite the overuse of the term fascism, and angry denials, it has become necessary to be watchful for signs of incipient fascism in US politics today.)

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 2) - Daily Friend

Despite the overuse of the term fascism, and angry denials, it has become necessary to be watchful for signs of incipient fascism in US politics today.

dailyfriend.co.za

1 1

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 8d

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can trigger the immune system to recognize and kill cancer, research finds
www.livescience.com/health/cance...
(Oh, no! The dastardly depopulation shot accidentally cures cancer!)

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines can trigger the immune system to recognize and kill cancer, research finds

The researchers found that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines could potentially help patients whose tumors don’t respond well to traditional immunotherapy.

www.livescience.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 10d

Not in our name: Afrikaners respond to the misuse of their story in US politics
www.news24.com/opinions/col...
(Well said.)

Not in our name: Afrikaners respond to the misuse of their story in US politics | News24

Afrikaners speak out against the political misuse of their identity in the USA – a topic currently gaining prominence with reports in the New York Times, Washington Post, and locally.

www.news24.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 10d

Trump Dares Congress To Take Its War Powers Seriously in Venezuela |
The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.
reason.com/2025/10/24/t...

Trump dares Congress to take its war powers seriously in Venezuela

The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.

reason.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 11d

World-changing tech that didn't:

Maglev: techcentral.co.za/maglev-train...
Blockchain: techcentral.co.za/the-great-bl...
Segway: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
CCS: techcentral.co.za/the-colossal...
3D TV: techcentral.co.za/how-3d-wowed...
Smart glasses: techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...

The train that never came - how maglev technology was derailed

This is the first in a series of articles about amazing technologies that promised to change the world but which did no such thing.

techcentral.co.za

1 1

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 12d

The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects |
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
(Troubling. The IA is such an important project.)

The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects

Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.

www.niemanlab.org

2 1

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 14d

Correction:
Carbon capture link is techcentral.co.za/the-colossal...

The colossal carbon capture con

Carbon-capture schemes are costly scams that overpromise yet barely reduce global emissions, writes Ivo Vegter.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 14d

World-changing tech that didn't:

Maglev: techcentral.co.za/maglev-train...
Blockchain: techcentral.co.za/the-great-bl...
Segway: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
CCS: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
3D TV: techcentral.co.za/how-3d-wowed...
Smart glasses: techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...

1 1

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 14d

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 1)
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/21/w...
(My latest column. Supporters of Donald Trump are quick to disavow the label “fascist”, which really is no surprise. It is damning, and is often used gratuitously.)

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 1) - Daily Friend

Supporters of Donald Trump are quick to disavow the label “fascist”, which really is no surprise. It is damning, and is often used gratuitously.

dailyfriend.co.za

Reposted by Ivo Vegter

TechCentral @techcentral.co.za · 15d

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in, writes @ivovegter.bsky.social

Why smart glasses keep failing - it's not the tech

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 15d

Why smart glasses keep failing – it’s not the tech
techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...
{The latest in my series on technology that was supposed to change the world, but didn't.)

Why smart glasses keep failing - it's not the tech

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 17d

30 pages of Lolita Express passenger manifests surface, with many names redacted. Why, I wonder? What did those people do to merit protection that Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Jimmy Cayne, Brian Higgins or John Phelan didn't?
www.foxnews.com/us/epstein-d...

Epstein flight manifests revealed as House committee releases docs, transcript with former US attorney

The House Oversight Committee released more documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday afternoon. The committee released an interview with former US attorney Alex Acosta as well as flight records...

www.foxnews.com

1 4

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 18d

Suddenly MAGA fans don’t want free speech anymore
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/17/s...
(My latest column. South African fans of Donald Trump don’t seem to understand what “free speech” means. No, it doesn’t mean “speech has consequences”. It means the exact opposite.)

Suddenly MAGA fans don’t want free speech anymore - Daily Friend

South African fans of Donald Trump don’t seem to understand what “free speech” means. No, it doesn’t mean “speech has consequences”. It means the exact opposite.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 22d

Saudi warning: 'Qatar will bring Hamas back'
www.israelhayom.com/2025/10/12/s...
(They're right. Why Trump trusts Qatar is beyond me.)

Saudi warning: 'Qatar will bring Hamas back'

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are worried about the major role given to Qatar in President Donald Trump’s plan for Middle East

www.israelhayom.com

1 1

Reposted by Ivo Vegter

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 25d

Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.

www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...

Part of a letter sent by a bunch of GOP members of Congress in favor of granting Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won today.

The last three paragraphs, before Rick Scott and Marco Rubio's signature, reads:

The Maduro regime's abuses and assaults on the civil society and legitimate
political activity of Venezuelan citizens have caused millions to flee to other countries,
while millions more have had no choice but to remain in the prison Maduro has
imposed on them. The peace of the region has been greatly disturbed by Maduro’s
welcoming of some of the world’s worst actors, including terrorists and dictators who
support him.
It is our firm belief that María Corina Machado’s courageous and selfless
leadership, and unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals,
make her a most deserving candidate for this prestigious award. Her efforts not only
highlight the urgent need for international solidarity in the face of aggressive and
expansive authoritarianism but also serve as a reminder of the power of individual
bravery in the quest for justice.

120 670 2.1K

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 25d

An artificial intelligence reckoning is coming
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/10/a...
(My latest column. Truly disruptive technologies are relatively rare, despite what marketers will tell you. AI is worthy of the adjective.)

An artificial intelligence reckoning is coming - Daily Friend

Truly disruptive technologies are relatively rare, despite what marketers will tell you. AI is worthy of the adjective.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 27d

Help, I’ve run out of exasperated headlines
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/08/h...
(My latest column. Last time, I said “Ramaphosa will talk this country to death”. Now he’s foisting yet another talk shop on us: an “economic war room”. It will fail.)

Help, I’ve run out of exasperated headlines - Daily Friend

I said “Ramaphosa will talk this country to death”. Now he’s foisting yet another talk shop on us: an “economic war room”. It will fail.

dailyfriend.co.za