Dave Mazella
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davemazella.bsky.social
Dave Mazella
@davemazella.bsky.social
eighteenth-century scholar in Heatstroke, TX. let's see how this goes.

Book: Making of Modern Cynicism, now in paperback from UVA press: https://www.upress.virginia.edu/title/2793/
Pinned
My book on ancient and modern cynicism, The Making of Modern Cynicism (2007, UVA press), is now available again in paperback!

Because cynicism never goes out of fashion.

www.upress.virginia.edu/title/2793/
The Making of Modern Cynicism
<div><p>Once describing a life of exile, self-denial, physical rigor, and mastery of one’s desires, cynicism now describes a life of political quietis
www.upress.virginia.edu
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Reposting this piece I wrote earlier this week for no particular reason. newrepublic.com/article/2057...
Welcome to Trump’s Remake of Argentina’s Dirty War
The administration is speedrunning the worst abuses of the Latin American nation’s checkered history on the streets of American cities.
newrepublic.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:48 PM
my suspicion, which I hope is not correct, is that the Dem plan is to win the midterms and presidency and then run this complex obama-style to keep cops and donors happy
January 30, 2026 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
the arrest of journalists in minneapolis, including don lemon, is more evidence that the only move the administration knows how to make is to use force, and does not know how to respond when that force is met with defiance and indifference.
January 30, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
I think there is some information in there that isn't familiar to a lot of people. Including that the US is currently holding three times as many people in immigration detention as were detained in the entire Nazi concentration camp system in spring 1939—six years into the Third Reich.
January 20, 2026 at 3:43 AM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
I wrote about how concentration camp regimes evolve and why it's not too late to stop this, even though we are deep in it now.
Into the abyss
The correct response to Dachau was not better training for the guards.
degenerateart.beehiiv.com
January 20, 2026 at 3:37 AM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Tell the ones you love you love them ❤️

(a pair of Santa Cruz Island foxes 🦊)
January 30, 2026 at 5:23 AM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
📖 Reflections on Bibliographical Work: The Bibliographical Note in the History of English Studies 📖

Learn more in Rachel Sagner Buurma and Laura Heffernan's article in the December 2025 issue of PBSA.

Read the full article in our latest issue: Link in Bio 🔗
January 30, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Lady Gaga summons the grace and power of Mr. Rogers.

youtu.be/gMFQmOBO6D4
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? | Lady Gaga
YouTube video by Lady Gaga
youtu.be
January 30, 2026 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Greg Palast (the gold standard of rooting out vote prevention) has the simple explanation of what happened in Fulton County Wed, demonstrating how it's just one piece of the ongoing GOP project to illegitimately cheat their way into office

Always read anything from @gregpalast.bsky.social
The real story of the FBI raid on Fulton County
It's all about 2026 and 2028. Fulton County is the heart of “Blacklanta.” And Atlanta is the electoral heart of Georgia. And Georgia is the swingiest of swing states.
www.gregpalast.com
January 30, 2026 at 4:54 AM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
They're going to get sympathetic treatment. On the cover of the Magazine. It's Been Ten Years Since [TK ATROCITY]. But People Won't Leave This Former ICE Agent In Peace. And you will be the villain of the story.
when all of this gets slightly less heated the NYT is going to be profiling anonymous ICE agents like they’re regretful Trump voters just you watch
January 30, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
I’ve harped on this for years but the reason there’s a seemingly (or at least relatively) “low” amount of corruption in US politics is because we’ve legalized all of it.
The issue isn't whether "Melania" is a good movie or a bad one. It's that one of the richest men in America, with business interests affected by public policy, gave the President's family $75 million to make it. Like that's somehow legal.
January 30, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
I also talk in the book about why right-wing support for the 2A isn't inconsistent with their support for Trump. It's jusy white supremacy all the way down.
January 30, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
I talk extensively in the book about why there's no "left-wing state's rights"
January 30, 2026 at 2:49 PM
once again: there is no large city PD under civilian control; this seems like an obvious consequence of qualified immunity
This shows that ICE's supporters actually understand the notion of discretion and that not every crime needs to be a law enforcement priority--they just like holding immigrants to a higher standard than their own [heavily armed] colleagues...
LAPD won’t enforce California’s mask ban on ICE/CBP/DHS

www.instagram.com/reel/DUHDeCJ...
January 30, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Saw the Melania doc last night and it was surprisingly fun, just her and the Jackass gang doing dangerous pranks. I didn’t even know they were all friends! Anyway Mel burned her left arm off but was a great sport about it.
January 30, 2026 at 1:42 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
January 30, 2026 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
every free state should do this

California's Evidence Bank For ICE Crimes
open.substack.com/pub/brianbeu...
California's Evidence Bank For ICE Crimes
A model for the next Minneapolis, from Attorney General Rob Bonta.
open.substack.com
January 30, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
January 30, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
The Trump Adm is arresting Don Lemon and overcharging disruptive protesters at Cities Church to posture as if it’s protecting Christians. It’s not. DHS is staging disruptive ops at other churches, at least one of which has had to go online. ...
1/4
January 30, 2026 at 2:26 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Había una injusticia, se pusó al frente
January 30, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Timeline cleanse:
January 30, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
there's this new dynamic where the DOJ cannot win in court and is (relatedly) incapable of meeting the minimum threshold of professional legal conduct, and so an increasing percentage of its actions are purely for intimidation and content
January 30, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Reposted by Dave Mazella
Fort filmed this before her arrest--she confirms they did go before a grand jury.
Minnesota based Independent Journalist GEORGIA FORT has been arrested for filming a protest of the church pastor that works as an ICE manager. SPREAD THE WORD! Georgia has been doing outstanding reporting from ground zero!
January 30, 2026 at 1:49 PM
Can’t remember all the times I thought Dems were executing a strategy that thought more than 10 minutes ahead & they proved me wrong
January 30, 2026 at 2:02 PM