Marc Sobel
@marcsobel.bsky.social
I write and self-publish optimistic hard science fiction, usually about utopias. I like imagining what a good society could be like. http://amazon.com/author/marcsobel
Reposted by Marc Sobel
If it’s a tax on them, elites make it sound like a tax on you. If it’s a tax on you, they make you wonder if it’s a tax at all.
When you understand that, you can see how the news media actually created conditions in which some middle-class Americans unknowingly voted for their own immiseration.
When you understand that, you can see how the news media actually created conditions in which some middle-class Americans unknowingly voted for their own immiseration.
February 18, 2026 at 8:25 PM
If it’s a tax on them, elites make it sound like a tax on you. If it’s a tax on you, they make you wonder if it’s a tax at all.
When you understand that, you can see how the news media actually created conditions in which some middle-class Americans unknowingly voted for their own immiseration.
When you understand that, you can see how the news media actually created conditions in which some middle-class Americans unknowingly voted for their own immiseration.
Reposted by Marc Sobel
Mamdani: "$5.4 billion is a very steep mountain to climb ... We want to work with Albany to raise personal income taxes by 2% on the 33,000 New Yorkers earning more than $1 million per year and to raise corporate taxes on the most profitable corporations."
February 17, 2026 at 8:02 PM
Mamdani: "$5.4 billion is a very steep mountain to climb ... We want to work with Albany to raise personal income taxes by 2% on the 33,000 New Yorkers earning more than $1 million per year and to raise corporate taxes on the most profitable corporations."
Reposted by Marc Sobel
We wanted to understand how rugged English-Scots-Irish culture has shaped America. So we talked to three white South African billionaires at a sex party in the Bahamas.
February 16, 2026 at 8:58 PM
We wanted to understand how rugged English-Scots-Irish culture has shaped America. So we talked to three white South African billionaires at a sex party in the Bahamas.
February 18, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Susan Collings is for the SAVE act but not eliminating the filibuster.
So. Shorter: I am not concerned with prohibiting the 69 million married women who don't use their birth names from voting, but it should not degrade my senatorial prerogatives.
So. Shorter: I am not concerned with prohibiting the 69 million married women who don't use their birth names from voting, but it should not degrade my senatorial prerogatives.
Susan Collins says she's in favor of the SAVE Act, which is the Trump push to overhaul how elections are administered. wgme.com/news/local/c...
The bill would impose voter ID requirements... which Mainers literally just rejected in a referendum in November. boltsmag.org/five-ways-20...
The bill would impose voter ID requirements... which Mainers literally just rejected in a referendum in November. boltsmag.org/five-ways-20...
February 18, 2026 at 12:39 AM
Susan Collings is for the SAVE act but not eliminating the filibuster.
So. Shorter: I am not concerned with prohibiting the 69 million married women who don't use their birth names from voting, but it should not degrade my senatorial prerogatives.
So. Shorter: I am not concerned with prohibiting the 69 million married women who don't use their birth names from voting, but it should not degrade my senatorial prerogatives.
Reposted by Marc Sobel
In honor of Lunar New Year, one of my all-time favorite maps:
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
February 17, 2026 at 4:32 PM
In honor of Lunar New Year, one of my all-time favorite maps:
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
How dumplings spread around the world
(tl;dr: It was largely, though not exclusively, the Mongol invasions!)
Correcting typo: Hegseth issued the directive Thursday, just ahead of Driscoll’s departure for Switzerland, where the Army secretary — in an unusual diplomatic role for the head of a military service — is participating in high-stakes discussions aimed at "surrendering to Russia."
wapo.st/4kIMTkM
wapo.st/4kIMTkM
Hegseth forces ouster of senior Army spokesman in latest internal clash
Col. David Butler, who had been selected by senior Army leaders for promotion to brigadier general, will instead retire, officials said.
wapo.st
February 17, 2026 at 6:59 PM
Correcting typo: Hegseth issued the directive Thursday, just ahead of Driscoll’s departure for Switzerland, where the Army secretary — in an unusual diplomatic role for the head of a military service — is participating in high-stakes discussions aimed at "surrendering to Russia."
wapo.st/4kIMTkM
wapo.st/4kIMTkM
Reposted by Marc Sobel
NYT hatchet job
Compare with Sanewashing of everyone in the administration.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Compare with Sanewashing of everyone in the administration.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Ocasio-Cortez Offers a Working-Class Vision in Munich, With Some Stumbles
www.nytimes.com
February 16, 2026 at 4:16 PM
NYT hatchet job
Compare with Sanewashing of everyone in the administration.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Compare with Sanewashing of everyone in the administration.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/u...
Reposted by Marc Sobel
“We’re seeing the stock market over one Tom Homan bribe.”
Peter Navarro: "It's the perfect Trump economy in 2026 ... we're seeing stock market over $50,000"
February 15, 2026 at 3:45 PM
“We’re seeing the stock market over one Tom Homan bribe.”
See also bsky.app/profile/marc...
Shorter: Astro turf yesterday, Astro turf today, Astro turf tomorrow
Shorter: Astro turf yesterday, Astro turf today, Astro turf tomorrow
There’s nothing grassroots about the American Right.
It’s a top-down, money-driven model of social and political change:
Seize power, then build—or at least mimic—legitimacy later
It’s a top-down, money-driven model of social and political change:
Seize power, then build—or at least mimic—legitimacy later
February 15, 2026 at 5:29 PM
See also bsky.app/profile/marc...
Shorter: Astro turf yesterday, Astro turf today, Astro turf tomorrow
Shorter: Astro turf yesterday, Astro turf today, Astro turf tomorrow
RTFT (Read The Fine Thread)
Shorter: Nothing New about the New Right.
Corollary: Steve Miller is a racist self-hating Jew.
h/t (as always) @hcrichardson.bsky.social
Shorter: Nothing New about the New Right.
Corollary: Steve Miller is a racist self-hating Jew.
h/t (as always) @hcrichardson.bsky.social
It's 1964-5 and a right wing political organization called the National States Rights Party has appointed a Montanan named Mike Cameron to organize youth groups in schools around the country to fight back against the radical left's Communist assault on America's traditional, white culture. cont'd...
February 15, 2026 at 5:18 PM
RTFT (Read The Fine Thread)
Shorter: Nothing New about the New Right.
Corollary: Steve Miller is a racist self-hating Jew.
h/t (as always) @hcrichardson.bsky.social
Shorter: Nothing New about the New Right.
Corollary: Steve Miller is a racist self-hating Jew.
h/t (as always) @hcrichardson.bsky.social
A hypothesis consistent with existing facts:
1) Trump is a fossil fuel asset.
2) Trump is a Chinese asset.
1) Trump is a fossil fuel asset.
2) Trump is a Chinese asset.
Compare Chinese state media (below) with US state media (Fox et al, with increasing bleed-over into many "legit" news operations.)
China's Xinhua news agency has just published this editorial cartoon in response to Trump's rejection of climate policies.
It is pretty clear that China views this as a HUGE geopolitical fumble by the US leaving the field clear for China's to win the global race to clean-tech hegemony
It is pretty clear that China views this as a HUGE geopolitical fumble by the US leaving the field clear for China's to win the global race to clean-tech hegemony
February 14, 2026 at 6:15 PM
A hypothesis consistent with existing facts:
1) Trump is a fossil fuel asset.
2) Trump is a Chinese asset.
1) Trump is a fossil fuel asset.
2) Trump is a Chinese asset.
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Reposted by Marc Sobel
Trump is trying to get a Claremont guy, Jeremy Carl, into the state department. The position requires Senate confirmation.
Carl touts "great replacement" theories and wrote that he thought the military should just shoot immigrants crossing the border
www.salon.com/2026/02/12/w...
Carl touts "great replacement" theories and wrote that he thought the military should just shoot immigrants crossing the border
www.salon.com/2026/02/12/w...
With a history of bigotry and racism, Trump nominee Jeremy Carl gets a Senate hearing - Salon.com
Carl has tried to gloss over his comments about anti-white racism and Great Replacement theory
www.salon.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:52 PM
Trump is trying to get a Claremont guy, Jeremy Carl, into the state department. The position requires Senate confirmation.
Carl touts "great replacement" theories and wrote that he thought the military should just shoot immigrants crossing the border
www.salon.com/2026/02/12/w...
Carl touts "great replacement" theories and wrote that he thought the military should just shoot immigrants crossing the border
www.salon.com/2026/02/12/w...
RTFT (Read the Fine Thread)
One more quick thread, and then I'm getting out of here to walk my dog in the sun.
I think a lot about the authoritarian personality. I won't start going on about that because this thread would last forever, but I just want to say one thing about it.
I think a lot about the authoritarian personality. I won't start going on about that because this thread would last forever, but I just want to say one thing about it.
February 12, 2026 at 9:48 PM
RTFT (Read the Fine Thread)
But it may justify a Kavanaugh stop. You know, arrest, cuffing, detention, for hours to days and then release in subzero weather somewhere in polar bear territory.
under questioning by Rand Paul, ICE officials confirm that yelling at officers is not assault and recording officers is not a crime
February 12, 2026 at 5:22 PM
But it may justify a Kavanaugh stop. You know, arrest, cuffing, detention, for hours to days and then release in subzero weather somewhere in polar bear territory.
Reposted by Marc Sobel
So, Jack Smith working with a subpoena to acquire general phone logs is a breech of privacy but the DOJ can just randomly spy on the congress people and their computer searches for no apparent reason?
The cognitive dissonance of these people never ceases to astonish me.
The cognitive dissonance of these people never ceases to astonish me.
Pam Bondi brought a document to the Judiciary Committee today that had my search history of the Epstein files on it.
The DOJ is spying on members of Congress. It’s a disgrace and I won’t stand for it.
The DOJ is spying on members of Congress. It’s a disgrace and I won’t stand for it.
February 12, 2026 at 2:19 AM
So, Jack Smith working with a subpoena to acquire general phone logs is a breech of privacy but the DOJ can just randomly spy on the congress people and their computer searches for no apparent reason?
The cognitive dissonance of these people never ceases to astonish me.
The cognitive dissonance of these people never ceases to astonish me.
But the number of people saying mean things is up 8000%
Every photo from Minneapolis looks like this. Cops decked out with guns and full tac gear facing off against people in bathrobes, parkas, and sweatpants armed only with whistles and cell phones.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
Yet every verified MAGA chode on X dutifully calls it a riot or violent insurrection.
February 12, 2026 at 3:53 AM
But the number of people saying mean things is up 8000%
how serious the increasingly likely possibility that Russian intelligence services co-organised this operation for the security of the Polish state. Can only mean that they also possess compromising materials against many leaders still active today
www.reuters.com/world/poland...
www.reuters.com/world/poland...
Poland to probe possible links between Epstein and Russia, PM Tusk says
Poland will launch an investigation into possible links between the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Russian intelligence, as well as any impact on Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tues...
www.reuters.com
February 12, 2026 at 3:51 AM
how serious the increasingly likely possibility that Russian intelligence services co-organised this operation for the security of the Polish state. Can only mean that they also possess compromising materials against many leaders still active today
www.reuters.com/world/poland...
www.reuters.com/world/poland...
Reposted by Marc Sobel
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath."
Pam Bondi: "Don't you ever accuse me of a crime!"
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath and this is all on videotape."
Pam Bondi: "Don't you ever accuse me of a crime!"
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath and this is all on videotape."
February 11, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath."
Pam Bondi: "Don't you ever accuse me of a crime!"
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath and this is all on videotape."
Pam Bondi: "Don't you ever accuse me of a crime!"
Rep. Lieu: "I believe you just lied under oath and this is all on videotape."
Reposted by Marc Sobel
Maybe the immigrants affected can all sue for $10 billion. 🤡
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
February 11, 2026 at 4:26 PM
Maybe the immigrants affected can all sue for $10 billion. 🤡
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
@washingtonpost.com
www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
NYT makes simple list of Democratic demands seem complex and vague. Shorter Dem Demands: ICE should behave like law enforcement.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Democrats Want to Rein In ICE. Their Ideas Are Facing Blowback.
www.nytimes.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:46 PM
NYT makes simple list of Democratic demands seem complex and vague. Shorter Dem Demands: ICE should behave like law enforcement.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/u...
Reposted by Marc Sobel
they pissed off the WeRateDogs guy enough from him to break character to directly tell them off, that's genuinely impressive levels of being an asshole
February 10, 2026 at 8:22 PM
they pissed off the WeRateDogs guy enough from him to break character to directly tell them off, that's genuinely impressive levels of being an asshole