Jeff Sharlet
@jeffsharlet.bsky.social
I wrote a book about now, THE UNDERTOW: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, & 2 about how we got here, THE FAMILY & C ST, also a Netflix series. Also THIS BRILLIANT DARKNESS & SWEET HEAVEN WHEN I DIE. Professing @ Dartmouth. That's not my cat.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Our provost announced an "AI fluency" initiative today. I really had to wonder, fluency in what? CSAM generation? Plagiarism? Cognitive decline? To me the notion that university faculty can adequately respond to the moment by working *with* the assaulters is beyond magical thinking.
February 11, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Our provost announced an "AI fluency" initiative today. I really had to wonder, fluency in what? CSAM generation? Plagiarism? Cognitive decline? To me the notion that university faculty can adequately respond to the moment by working *with* the assaulters is beyond magical thinking.
Direct parallel to denialism around fascism. Too many tell themselves “we’re winning”—as if acknowledging scale of fascism’s assault means submitting to it, or as if democracy is a pep rally. It’s a struggle, we’re not winning, but we can, so let’s fight harder—against the anti-human in govt & tech.
I understand why people are exhausted by AI hype, and why those of us squarely in the corner of "human dignity uber alles" see AI doomerism as self-serving hype, but I *really* think people on the left broadly need to start thinking seriously about the possibiltiy of the hype being...true.
February 11, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Direct parallel to denialism around fascism. Too many tell themselves “we’re winning”—as if acknowledging scale of fascism’s assault means submitting to it, or as if democracy is a pep rally. It’s a struggle, we’re not winning, but we can, so let’s fight harder—against the anti-human in govt & tech.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
Excellent @washingtonpost.com piece on the signs that global warming is accelerating by @shannonosaka.bsky.social and @johnmuyskens.bsky.social, featuring @hausfath.bsky.social @rarohde.bsky.social @cjsmith.eu
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Excellent @washingtonpost.com piece on the signs that global warming is accelerating by @shannonosaka.bsky.social and @johnmuyskens.bsky.social, featuring @hausfath.bsky.social @rarohde.bsky.social @cjsmith.eu
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...
Especially bad news for Atlantans, but also bad news for all of us and democracy. As more and more cities become increasingly unreported, ordinary corruption has an ever more open field into which to cohere into local authoritarianisms, rippling out and up.
Even more bad news for Atlanta local journalism: @atlpresscollective.com, which has extensively covered "Cop City", ICE, and Flock cameras, and a finalist for the @inn.org Insight Award for Visual Journalism, announced today that they have run out of cash to stay open beyond the end of March.
More bad news for Atlanta local journalism: Mariann Martin, Co-founder, Operations and Editorial Director of @canopyatl.bsky.social, announced her departure from the newsroom yesterday.
The award-winning nonprofit and Press Forward grantee has not published a single story since Dec. 2025.
The award-winning nonprofit and Press Forward grantee has not published a single story since Dec. 2025.
February 11, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Especially bad news for Atlantans, but also bad news for all of us and democracy. As more and more cities become increasingly unreported, ordinary corruption has an ever more open field into which to cohere into local authoritarianisms, rippling out and up.
Couple of years ago I bought a book by the Tennessee photographer Baldwin Lee. Marveled at a few pages, put it on shelf to linger w/ later, only now remembered it. And... these are photos of the Black American South, yes. & they are photographs of EVERYTHING. A few here: www.baldwinlee.com/work/vol1
I — BALDWIN LEE
www.baldwinlee.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Couple of years ago I bought a book by the Tennessee photographer Baldwin Lee. Marveled at a few pages, put it on shelf to linger w/ later, only now remembered it. And... these are photos of the Black American South, yes. & they are photographs of EVERYTHING. A few here: www.baldwinlee.com/work/vol1
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
1. Internal documents reveal that Freedom 250, which purports to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary, is a vehicle to promote Trump and "America First" propaganda, including election conspiracies
Major corporations like Mastercard and Deloitte and spending million to bankroll this effort
Major corporations like Mastercard and Deloitte and spending million to bankroll this effort
Major corporations bankroll "America First" propaganda
Mastercard, Deloitte, and ExxonMobil are spending millions to promote events supporting Trump and his divisive political agenda.
popular.info
February 11, 2026 at 2:38 PM
1. Internal documents reveal that Freedom 250, which purports to celebrate the nation's 250th anniversary, is a vehicle to promote Trump and "America First" propaganda, including election conspiracies
Major corporations like Mastercard and Deloitte and spending million to bankroll this effort
Major corporations like Mastercard and Deloitte and spending million to bankroll this effort
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
These men are a threat to the long term survival of all life on earth
Burgum: "CO2 was never a pollutant. When we breathe, we emit CO2. Plants need CO2 to survive and grow. They thrive with more CO2. So the whole endangerment thing opens up an opportunity for the revival of clean, beautiful, American coal."
February 11, 2026 at 3:31 PM
These men are a threat to the long term survival of all life on earth
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
When I worked at Microsoft they said we had to use Copilot five times a day and noncompliance would show up in our reviews.
So, every morning I’d ask it questions about puppies and clouds until I hit my quota and get to work.
Leadership was thrilled at how we integrated AI into our operations 😂
So, every morning I’d ask it questions about puppies and clouds until I hit my quota and get to work.
Leadership was thrilled at how we integrated AI into our operations 😂
February 11, 2026 at 3:27 PM
When I worked at Microsoft they said we had to use Copilot five times a day and noncompliance would show up in our reviews.
So, every morning I’d ask it questions about puppies and clouds until I hit my quota and get to work.
Leadership was thrilled at how we integrated AI into our operations 😂
So, every morning I’d ask it questions about puppies and clouds until I hit my quota and get to work.
Leadership was thrilled at how we integrated AI into our operations 😂
Keep track of the escalations. The 21-yr-old who's been posting openly white-supremacist, antisemitic graphics for Dept. of Labor just got a giant promotion to run social media for DHS's 222,000 employees. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
Homeland Security Hires Labor Dept. Aide Whose Posts Raised Alarms
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:31 PM
Keep track of the escalations. The 21-yr-old who's been posting openly white-supremacist, antisemitic graphics for Dept. of Labor just got a giant promotion to run social media for DHS's 222,000 employees. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/11/u...
This piece of paper was, I kid you not, once held up to the camera on a television news broadcast as part of a traffic report, as they had been unable to get a cameraperson to the scene of the highway closure.
February 11, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
The struggle against AI while employers force it on us is stress no one needs.
Amazing how people will pivot from "Be innovative, find creative solutions," to "Use the plagiarism bot that hallucinates, and you don't need to learn to code."
There are use cases, but damn, chill.
Amazing how people will pivot from "Be innovative, find creative solutions," to "Use the plagiarism bot that hallucinates, and you don't need to learn to code."
There are use cases, but damn, chill.
February 11, 2026 at 3:05 PM
The struggle against AI while employers force it on us is stress no one needs.
Amazing how people will pivot from "Be innovative, find creative solutions," to "Use the plagiarism bot that hallucinates, and you don't need to learn to code."
There are use cases, but damn, chill.
Amazing how people will pivot from "Be innovative, find creative solutions," to "Use the plagiarism bot that hallucinates, and you don't need to learn to code."
There are use cases, but damn, chill.
Future-forward! "Fine, as long as you edit," said the professor on his way to the unemployment office.
My kid dropped a humanities class right after the prof said using AI was “fine, as long as you edit.” Mentioned that her son agreed with my kid who pointed out the many problems with it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ .
February 11, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Future-forward! "Fine, as long as you edit," said the professor on his way to the unemployment office.
"This is what the bear probably looked like--except real." If I was choosing videos for a space probe to other galaxies, I'd include this & the St. Louis February news. I think that might be it. In a million yrs, aliens wld look at earth, by then a lifeless cinder, & mourn our genius.
another entry in the "what WAS journalism" pantheon, this one always held a special place in my heart:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5C2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5C2...
WJW Fox 8 Cleveland does a ridiculous story on a bear in a lady's backyard
YouTube video by downtownmcs
www.youtube.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:05 PM
"This is what the bear probably looked like--except real." If I was choosing videos for a space probe to other galaxies, I'd include this & the St. Louis February news. I think that might be it. In a million yrs, aliens wld look at earth, by then a lifeless cinder, & mourn our genius.
"Given that coal is here and poised to stay..." "Given that television is here and poised to stay..." "Given that democracy is here and poised to stay..." "Given that nuclear weapons are here and poised to stay..." The formulation kills inquiry & imagination.
February 11, 2026 at 2:59 PM
"Given that coal is here and poised to stay..." "Given that television is here and poised to stay..." "Given that democracy is here and poised to stay..." "Given that nuclear weapons are here and poised to stay..." The formulation kills inquiry & imagination.
Communication from my university today: "given that AI is here and poised to stay..." Maybe! In my classroom, we try not lean on "givens," especially those of no more than a couple years vintage. One doesn't need to be critical of AI to recognize this as an abdication of inquiry.
February 11, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Communication from my university today: "given that AI is here and poised to stay..." Maybe! In my classroom, we try not lean on "givens," especially those of no more than a couple years vintage. One doesn't need to be critical of AI to recognize this as an abdication of inquiry.
What WAS journalism? Friends, it was this, the greatest truth telling I’ve ever witnessed.
Don't give anything an Emmy until it's as good as this.
February 11, 2026 at 1:30 PM
What WAS journalism? Friends, it was this, the greatest truth telling I’ve ever witnessed.
February 11, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
seen in my neighborhood in south Minneapolis
February 10, 2026 at 10:28 PM
seen in my neighborhood in south Minneapolis
They’re talking about ICE.
February 11, 2026 at 2:40 AM
They’re talking about ICE.
I dunno I don’t think ICE in Minneapolis is cuing up dvds
February 11, 2026 at 1:08 AM
I dunno I don’t think ICE in Minneapolis is cuing up dvds
A dvd? How do they play it?
RON JOHNSON: In Central America, if you become a police chief, the drug cartels send you a DVD w/ a video of your family going to church or school...that's what ICE agents are facing
SORKIN: But these people are allowed to protest
J: They want their activists to dox them & put families at risk
SORKIN: But these people are allowed to protest
J: They want their activists to dox them & put families at risk
February 10, 2026 at 11:35 PM
A dvd? How do they play it?
Saying Trumpism hasn't accomplished much is likeBoston fans saying Yankees suck. It might feel good, but more often than not it's not true. That's just a game; this is countless lives damaged, ruined, ended. It's not doomerism to count the costs; it's remembering what, & who, you're fighting for.
When I hear people say that Trump hasn't accomplished much (an argument that comes from both the center and the left) it is mind-boggling. In one year they have destroyed the foundation of climate regulation, crippled the public health system, and brought immigration to a standstill.
This guts me
February 10, 2026 at 10:40 PM
Saying Trumpism hasn't accomplished much is likeBoston fans saying Yankees suck. It might feel good, but more often than not it's not true. That's just a game; this is countless lives damaged, ruined, ended. It's not doomerism to count the costs; it's remembering what, & who, you're fighting for.
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
This guts me
February 10, 2026 at 10:25 PM
This guts me
Reposted by Jeff Sharlet
"There are still plenty of places to read about literature.…But they are produced for an audience that already knows it cares....The books section of a newspaper plays an altogether different role. It does not cater to aficionados; it seeks new recruits."
www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
February 10, 2026 at 10:31 PM
"There are still plenty of places to read about literature.…But they are produced for an audience that already knows it cares....The books section of a newspaper plays an altogether different role. It does not cater to aficionados; it seeks new recruits."
www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
www.newyorker.com/books/page-t...
Great! Push back against it. Saying you know it's not gonna be close isn't pushing back against doom. It's saying to a real threat, that we can fight, "La la la, I can't hear you!"
February 9, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Great! Push back against it. Saying you know it's not gonna be close isn't pushing back against doom. It's saying to a real threat, that we can fight, "La la la, I can't hear you!"