Josh Berthume
@jberthume.bsky.social
Writer | Founder of Swash Labs | Truman Project National Security Fellow | rogue.substack.com | he/him
We deal in truth.
We deal in truth.
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Being even baseline literate in the 2020s is like never working out but slowly becoming the strongest person on earth as everyone around you eats shredded newspaper and chugs poison
December 21, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Being even baseline literate in the 2020s is like never working out but slowly becoming the strongest person on earth as everyone around you eats shredded newspaper and chugs poison
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Me whenever I see the Data Nerds trying to tell people who have actually won elections and gotten real things done how to do politics
a man in a suit and tie is saying " go outside nerd "
Alt: Uncle Baby Bill from Righteous Gemstones saying " go outside nerd "
media.tenor.com
December 20, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Me whenever I see the Data Nerds trying to tell people who have actually won elections and gotten real things done how to do politics
Reposted by Josh Berthume
while i am not an academic i did see this coming and post about it on bluesky, which is why i am quoted in this article
December 17, 2025 at 8:17 PM
while i am not an academic i did see this coming and post about it on bluesky, which is why i am quoted in this article
REAL HEAT. REAL HEAT FROM A DAMN ARTIST.
The Vanity Fair photographer from the Susie Wiles story.
Holy. Shit.
www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
Holy. Shit.
www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
December 17, 2025 at 8:48 PM
REAL HEAT. REAL HEAT FROM A DAMN ARTIST.
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Just to be clear: if 'no one was ready' a lot of people fucked up, bc those of us who work on this laid out what was going to happen 8yrs ago.
The twofold issue that 1)it's not just a tech problem, and 2) Big Tech allowed itself to be ref-worked into spinelessness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/t...
The twofold issue that 1)it's not just a tech problem, and 2) Big Tech allowed itself to be ref-worked into spinelessness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/t...
A.I. Videos Have Flooded Social Media. No One Was Ready.
www.nytimes.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Just to be clear: if 'no one was ready' a lot of people fucked up, bc those of us who work on this laid out what was going to happen 8yrs ago.
The twofold issue that 1)it's not just a tech problem, and 2) Big Tech allowed itself to be ref-worked into spinelessness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/t...
The twofold issue that 1)it's not just a tech problem, and 2) Big Tech allowed itself to be ref-worked into spinelessness.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/t...
I started sending the first draft of my novel to my set of early readers over the weekend. My dad finished it in less than 24 hours. Real dad shit. ☺️
December 16, 2025 at 4:40 PM
I started sending the first draft of my novel to my set of early readers over the weekend. My dad finished it in less than 24 hours. Real dad shit. ☺️
Reposted by Josh Berthume
"Prompt engineering" isn't a real career field and the degree to which it even seems necessary to anyone is the degree to which the technology doesn't actually work as advertised
December 16, 2025 at 2:33 PM
"Prompt engineering" isn't a real career field and the degree to which it even seems necessary to anyone is the degree to which the technology doesn't actually work as advertised
Reposted by Josh Berthume
The older I get, the more my politics mature from childish, naïve beliefs like "the world is complicated and leaders have to make hard decisions" to more serious, adult principles like "hurting people is bad and helping people is good."
December 15, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The older I get, the more my politics mature from childish, naïve beliefs like "the world is complicated and leaders have to make hard decisions" to more serious, adult principles like "hurting people is bad and helping people is good."
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Haven’t flown Southwest in a while. They’ve gotten a bit haughty while I’ve been away. Guess I’ll keep my book in my lap.
December 15, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Haven’t flown Southwest in a while. They’ve gotten a bit haughty while I’ve been away. Guess I’ll keep my book in my lap.
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Gonna be even more earnest than usual on main, but I wanted to share. Because I have a bunch of pain stuff I was in my thoughts about it, and I said to myself, “I have to show love to my body. My body is doing the best it can.” so if anybody needs this, it made me feel good to say that
December 9, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Gonna be even more earnest than usual on main, but I wanted to share. Because I have a bunch of pain stuff I was in my thoughts about it, and I said to myself, “I have to show love to my body. My body is doing the best it can.” so if anybody needs this, it made me feel good to say that
If you're a writer, read this:
C'mere, pookie. We need to talk about how now is a difficult time for lots of people in publishing. Not just bc--*waves arms*--but bc we're seeing Best of the Year lists and Award Eligibility posts, and bc the last book deals of the year are being announced while sub times are longer than ever. 1/
December 10, 2025 at 4:21 PM
If you're a writer, read this:
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Any linguists working on this topic?
I would love to read a study of how our use of language has changed when we talk to customer service now because we know we are talking to a machine
December 9, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Any linguists working on this topic?
Reposted by Josh Berthume
I have yet to meet one artist, who is not paid to use AI, talk positively about AI
December 9, 2025 at 2:01 PM
I have yet to meet one artist, who is not paid to use AI, talk positively about AI
Reposted by Josh Berthume
absolutely monday pilled. i’m toil-maxxing. going drudgery mode. stumblecore. hitting my slog goals.
December 8, 2025 at 1:37 PM
absolutely monday pilled. i’m toil-maxxing. going drudgery mode. stumblecore. hitting my slog goals.
Reposted by Josh Berthume
I was told everyone was leaving.
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
December 5, 2025 at 1:43 PM
I was told everyone was leaving.
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
@fortune.com #NYC
@wutangforchildren.bsky.social
fortune.com/2025/12/04/m...
Reposted by Josh Berthume
It's time for a pilgrimage
Detroit has unveiled their statue honoring RoboCop
www.metrotimes.com/arts/detroit...
www.metrotimes.com/arts/detroit...
Detroit finally has a RoboCop statue - Detroit Metro Times
Nearly 15 years later, Detroit finally has its statue of RoboCop. The bronze statue depicting the eponymous cybernetic star of Paul Verhoeven’s 1987 set-in-Detroit sci-fi satire was installed in East...
www.metrotimes.com
December 4, 2025 at 4:08 PM
It's time for a pilgrimage
Reposted by Josh Berthume
tinnitus so loud i was kicked out of the library
December 2, 2025 at 8:17 PM
tinnitus so loud i was kicked out of the library
i'm not sure why y'all were expecting something better from a former editor of the national review, i mean, come on
December 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
i'm not sure why y'all were expecting something better from a former editor of the national review, i mean, come on
Reposted by Josh Berthume
the other side of "to keep functioning, society has to discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities" is "to keep functioning, society has to circulate accurate information, especially information that constrains authorities"
2/ Every cause you care about — housing, education, safety, transit, arts — depends on trustworthy information.
Without independent reporting, who’s tracking needs, solutions, and accountability?
Here's more on what our people-powered newsroom has achieved so far:
Without independent reporting, who’s tracking needs, solutions, and accountability?
Here's more on what our people-powered newsroom has achieved so far:
A first birthday worth recapping
Celebrating the wins of the last 12 months and scheming for the future
51st.news
December 2, 2025 at 7:10 PM
the other side of "to keep functioning, society has to discourage baldfaced lying, especially by authorities" is "to keep functioning, society has to circulate accurate information, especially information that constrains authorities"
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Watching HBO Max shambolically roll out Mad Men, which is one of the five most important shows of the New Golden Age, makes me feel like that guy in Deliverance making fun of Burt and his pals for getting lost trying to find the river: "It's only the biggest fuckin' river in the state."
December 2, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Watching HBO Max shambolically roll out Mad Men, which is one of the five most important shows of the New Golden Age, makes me feel like that guy in Deliverance making fun of Burt and his pals for getting lost trying to find the river: "It's only the biggest fuckin' river in the state."
Reposted by Josh Berthume
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
December 1, 2025 at 11:29 PM
“AI is clearly sticking around so you have to get used to it” wrong. I don’t have to get used to shit. I am a practiced hater and I can keep this going for decades if I am required to
Reposted by Josh Berthume
Start your week with Prince smoking the While My Guitar Gently Weeps solo
December 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Start your week with Prince smoking the While My Guitar Gently Weeps solo
Richard Holbrooke, eat your heart out
Taiwanese ambassador to Finland performs with his metal band at Taiwan-Finland cultural event! 🤘✊️
That's what I call great ambassador
That's what I call great ambassador
November 29, 2025 at 6:10 PM
Richard Holbrooke, eat your heart out
Reposted by Josh Berthume
No one at the rap battle will wait for me to type my prompts
November 25, 2025 at 12:24 PM
No one at the rap battle will wait for me to type my prompts