Ben
@benfields.net
🇺🇸immigrant in LDN
recovering academic
Trying to understand humanity with data, music, libations
Might not be looking in the right places
–
currently: Head of Data @lakaHQ
previously: @bbc @futurelearn @funandplausible
cf https://assemblag.es/@alsothings
recovering academic
Trying to understand humanity with data, music, libations
Might not be looking in the right places
–
currently: Head of Data @lakaHQ
previously: @bbc @futurelearn @funandplausible
cf https://assemblag.es/@alsothings
Reposted by Ben
the question to ask about this is, okay, he wants to cancel the midterms. how does he get the VA state board of elections to cancel the midterms? how does he get the georgia board of elections to do it? how does he convince republican house members to quit their jobs and give up their paychecks?
Trump says a lot of deranged shit, but, per this Reuters article — and the threats of invoking the Insurrection Act in Minnesota this morning — he is very clearly exploring how to cancel the midterms.
www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
www.reuters.com/world/us/fiv...
January 15, 2026 at 4:29 PM
the question to ask about this is, okay, he wants to cancel the midterms. how does he get the VA state board of elections to cancel the midterms? how does he get the georgia board of elections to do it? how does he convince republican house members to quit their jobs and give up their paychecks?
Reposted by Ben
What I’m really saying is the next Democratic administration and those going forward need to do a new Reconstruction and de-Nazification of government.
January 15, 2026 at 6:51 PM
What I’m really saying is the next Democratic administration and those going forward need to do a new Reconstruction and de-Nazification of government.
Reposted by Ben
In fact, the next Dem administration—there will be a next one—should fund statues of Sherman throughout the south.
January 15, 2026 at 6:44 PM
In fact, the next Dem administration—there will be a next one—should fund statues of Sherman throughout the south.
Reposted by Ben
The energy the base wants is less proclamation of amnesty and more Sherman’s March to the Sea.
January 15, 2026 at 6:38 PM
The energy the base wants is less proclamation of amnesty and more Sherman’s March to the Sea.
Reposted by Ben
I'm sorry, Appeasement Democrats, but we already tried your way. Working to hide Trump's malfeasance from the public, sanding off as many rough edges as possible, working to avoid confrontation under the theory that he wants confrontation, then trying to move on as if it didn't happen failed. Badly.
January 15, 2026 at 4:27 PM
I'm sorry, Appeasement Democrats, but we already tried your way. Working to hide Trump's malfeasance from the public, sanding off as many rough edges as possible, working to avoid confrontation under the theory that he wants confrontation, then trying to move on as if it didn't happen failed. Badly.
Reposted by Ben
Incredibly, no-one on Nigel Farage’s team has got round to deleting this post. It’s still live as Robert Jenrick gives his big defection speech.
January 15, 2026 at 4:49 PM
Incredibly, no-one on Nigel Farage’s team has got round to deleting this post. It’s still live as Robert Jenrick gives his big defection speech.
Reposted by Ben
When Google cuts off the headline at the proper place.
January 15, 2026 at 3:03 PM
When Google cuts off the headline at the proper place.
Reposted by Ben
The rurals run the fucking country. their outsized control of the senate basically murdered democracy. i wish they would shut the fuck up already.
January 15, 2026 at 2:57 PM
The rurals run the fucking country. their outsized control of the senate basically murdered democracy. i wish they would shut the fuck up already.
also, one of the things that I find so aggregious about this is that is clearly the language of punditry but presented on the ny times as _reporting_. This highlighted sentence is so clearly opinionated 'analysis', but framed up as though it's just the clear and obvious facts. an insidious framing
Stage 5 pundit-brain is watching an innocent woman being killed by agents of the state and going, "hmm this says a lot about the urban-rural divide in America."
January 15, 2026 at 4:01 PM
also, one of the things that I find so aggregious about this is that is clearly the language of punditry but presented on the ny times as _reporting_. This highlighted sentence is so clearly opinionated 'analysis', but framed up as though it's just the clear and obvious facts. an insidious framing
The sort of company that creates and maintains a system like Grok is not a company that should be allowed to exist.
Here’s the response it gave her… the middle paragraphs are very, very weird.
Why would you programme an AI to say this stuff?
Why would you programme an AI to say this stuff?
January 15, 2026 at 10:57 AM
The sort of company that creates and maintains a system like Grok is not a company that should be allowed to exist.
Reposted by Ben
My latest for the Observer on the growing Green threat to Labour and why London’s “all up” local elections could provide some of the biggest drama in this May’s local and devolved elections observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Greens look set to clean up as Labour switchers move left
Labour voters liked the insurgent party even before the arrival of their new leader. As local elections approach, Zack Polanski appears ready to break through in the areas Keir Starmer neglected
observer.co.uk
January 15, 2026 at 9:07 AM
My latest for the Observer on the growing Green threat to Labour and why London’s “all up” local elections could provide some of the biggest drama in this May’s local and devolved elections observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
I belive this is the winning take on this
January 15, 2026 at 8:28 AM
I belive this is the winning take on this
Reposted by Ben
I don’t know which conservative Democrats need to hear this history lesson, but the German elected officials who voted to fund the Gestapo were considered Nazi collaborators.
History is watching.
History is watching.
January 15, 2026 at 3:39 AM
I don’t know which conservative Democrats need to hear this history lesson, but the German elected officials who voted to fund the Gestapo were considered Nazi collaborators.
History is watching.
History is watching.
Reposted by Ben
As a leader, the way you *encourage* your people to peacefully protest is to get out there on the street with them.
This cannot be done from the protected safety of one’s office.
This cannot be done from the protected safety of one’s office.
January 15, 2026 at 6:28 AM
As a leader, the way you *encourage* your people to peacefully protest is to get out there on the street with them.
This cannot be done from the protected safety of one’s office.
This cannot be done from the protected safety of one’s office.
Reposted by Ben
Our leaders must *choose* between 2 divergent futures- a privilege few are granted.
One where they are remembered as courageous examples of strength in the face of hate.
Another where they are condemned forever as cowards too afraid to put their bodies between their own people and rapacious evil.
One where they are remembered as courageous examples of strength in the face of hate.
Another where they are condemned forever as cowards too afraid to put their bodies between their own people and rapacious evil.
January 15, 2026 at 6:43 AM
Our leaders must *choose* between 2 divergent futures- a privilege few are granted.
One where they are remembered as courageous examples of strength in the face of hate.
Another where they are condemned forever as cowards too afraid to put their bodies between their own people and rapacious evil.
One where they are remembered as courageous examples of strength in the face of hate.
Another where they are condemned forever as cowards too afraid to put their bodies between their own people and rapacious evil.
Reposted by Ben
After a document leak from DHS outed him, Enrique Tarrio, head of the Proud Boys militia group, acknowledged that he was now an ICE officer. www.telemundo.com/noticias/not...
Enrique Tarrio, exlíder de los Proud Boys, dice que se ha convertido en agente de ICE
Tarrio, quien recibió un indulto de Trump por su participación en el asalto al Capitolio en 2021, fue detenido un mes después de su liberación por un cargo de agresión en Washington D.C.
www.telemundo.com
January 15, 2026 at 3:55 AM
After a document leak from DHS outed him, Enrique Tarrio, head of the Proud Boys militia group, acknowledged that he was now an ICE officer. www.telemundo.com/noticias/not...
Ah, but you see an aspect of the 'special relationship' that's not widely known is that it acts as a force multiplier so, this is effectively like sending, uh, 10 guys
BREAKING: The UK is sending a single military officer to Greenland at the request of Denmark to participate in a multi-nation exercise
January 14, 2026 at 10:55 PM
Ah, but you see an aspect of the 'special relationship' that's not widely known is that it acts as a force multiplier so, this is effectively like sending, uh, 10 guys
Reposted by Ben
It's ... a lot.
This is surreal. 4 Oglala Lakota men kidnapped by ICE in Minneapolis have finally been located. One of them was released but the other 3 are being held at Fort Snelling, a former concentration camp used to imprison Native people incl. the Dakota 38 during Dakota Wars.
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
ictnews.org/news/north-c...
Four Oglala detainees located, three still in ICE custody - ICT
The four Lakota detainees were reportedly sent to a former concentration camp used during the Dakota Wars
ictnews.org
January 14, 2026 at 10:46 PM
It's ... a lot.
Reposted by Ben
A year ago Trump ordered that federal funds be cut off to states that don't assist in immigration enforcement, and last spring DOT tried to cut off transportation funds to sanctuary states. Twenty states sued and won a permanent injunction, and the Trump administration just dropped its appeal.
Washington prevails in case protecting more than $1 billion in transportation grant funding as Trump administration drops appeal https://www.atg.wa.gov/news/news-releases/washington-prevails-case-protecting-more-1-billion-transportation-grant-funding
Washington prevails in case protecting more than $1 billion in transportation grant funding as Trump administration drops appeal | Washington State
Pending court approval, case will be fully and permanently resolved in Washington’s favor The U.S. Department of Justice has dropped its appeal of a judgment permanently blocking the Trump administration’s threat to withhold billions of dollars in annual U.S. Department of Transportation grants from states that do not assist the federal government’s immigration enforcement. By dropping its appeal, the Trump administration concedes the case, fully resolving it in favor of Washington and the 21 other states that sued the administration in May 2025.
www.atg.wa.gov
January 14, 2026 at 9:50 PM
A year ago Trump ordered that federal funds be cut off to states that don't assist in immigration enforcement, and last spring DOT tried to cut off transportation funds to sanctuary states. Twenty states sued and won a permanent injunction, and the Trump administration just dropped its appeal.
Reposted by Ben
My message to Noem, Miller, Bovino: You’ve lost. Go home. You can’t move without us following you. You can’t get out of your cars without 100 times your number descending on you. You’re setting millions of dollars on fire only to kindle a hatred against you that will never die.
January 14, 2026 at 9:46 PM
My message to Noem, Miller, Bovino: You’ve lost. Go home. You can’t move without us following you. You can’t get out of your cars without 100 times your number descending on you. You’re setting millions of dollars on fire only to kindle a hatred against you that will never die.
This seems bad
Trump is suspending immigration visa issuances to 75 different countries. That's over 1/3 of all the countries in existence! Read the diplomatic cable explaining the decision here: www.kenklippenstein.com/p/trump-free...
U.S. Freezes Visas to 75 Countries
Read the leaked diplomatic cable
www.kenklippenstein.com
January 14, 2026 at 10:07 PM
This seems bad
Reposted by Ben
stephen miller visited the delphic oracle and was really excited when he was told 2026 would be about the triumph of the Will.
now is the time of will stancil
Having seen several abductions up close, it is really hard to convey how much the thing they’re doing is roaming in military convoys until they see someone who is alone and isn’t white, and then jumping out in large numbers, pulling them into a van, and screeching off, all in 90 seconds or so.
January 14, 2026 at 6:26 PM
stephen miller visited the delphic oracle and was really excited when he was told 2026 would be about the triumph of the Will.
Reposted by Ben
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)
January 14, 2026 at 2:06 AM
over the course of 1871, congress held seven months of hearings on ku klux klan and other white vigilante violence in the south, they took detailed testimony from hundreds of black men and women attesting to klan terror. (1/?)