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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 1h

How long you think before ICE gets rebranded to some new “Anti-Terrorism” name?

That way they can beat the shit out of, jail or murder people of any color with ease!

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see something like Golden Trump Team 6.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3h

And even if the Tech Oligarchs aren’t looking to protect The Great Leader, tech still isn’t safe.

www.wired.com/story/satell...

WIRED
Headline:
Satellites Are Leaking the World's Secrets:
Calls, Texts, Military and Corporate Data Lede: With just $800 in basic equipment, researchers found a stunning variety of data-including thousands of T-Mobile users' calls and texts and even US military communications-sent by satellites unencrypted.
ANDY GREENBERG AND MATT BURGESS
10.13.25 21:10 PM

Roughly half of geostationary satellite signals, many carrying sensitive consumer, corporate, and government communications, have been left entirely vulnerable to eavesdropping, a team of researchers at UC San Diego and the University of Maryland revealed today in a study that will likely resonate across the cybersecurity industry, telecom firms, and inside military and intelligence agencies worldwide.

For three years, the UCSD and UMD researchers developed and used an off-the-shelf, $800 satellite receiver system on the roof of a university building in the La Jolla seaside neighborhood of San Diego to pick up the communications of geosynchronous satellites in the small band of space visible from their Southern California vantage point. By simply pointing their dish at different satellites and spending months interpreting the obscure-but unprotected-signals they received from them, the researchers assembled an alarming collection of private data: They obtained samples of the contents of Americans' calls and text messages on I-Mobile's cellular network, data from airline passengers' in-flight Wi-Fi browsing, communications to and from critical infrastructure such as electric utilities and offshore oil and gas platforms, and even US and Mexican military and law enforcement communications that revealed the locations of personnel, equipment, and facilities.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 1d

What I love about this is the absolute disgust that the distinguished United States of America would ever host a foreign military base!

Sure, we have 750 bases in 80 countries, but what the fuck does that matter???

That is just smart imperialism right there.

Headline: Vance blames
'misreporting' for uproar after Hegseth Qatari air force facility announcement
By Ellen Mitchell - 10/13/25 10:52 AM EDT
Article: A minor MAGA Republican uproar last week over news that the U.S. would host
Qatari pilots at a U.S. military base in Idaho was not caused by the Pentagon's misleading phrasing for the facility but, rather, a "misreporting" on the facts, according to Vice President Vance.

The news quickly sparked a backlash from several prominent figures in the GOP's MAGA base, who blasted the Trump administration for allowing what seemed to be, according to Hegseth's phrasing, a Qatari military base on U.S. soil. Qatar's media attaché to the U.S. later clarified a stand-alone Qatari air base will not exist, but that the country had made a 10-year commitment to build and maintain a dedicated training facility within an existing U.S. air base.
Speaking during a Sunday morning appearance on Fox News, Vance called

Graphic of world map with countries hosting US armed services bases colored in red.

There are roughly 750 US foreign military bases; they are spread across 80 nations!
After the U.S is the UK, but they only have 145 bases. Russia has about 3 dozen bases, and China just five. This implies that the U.S has three times as many bases as all other countries combined. Quite astonishing if you ask us.
For your reference, our globe has a total of 195 countries.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

Of note when they continue to blame mass shootings on mental health issues.

Also, we need to stop using such soft language. Don’t use the alliterative “school shooting.”

Call it a “school massacre.” Treat it like what it is.

www.npr.org/sections/sho...

npr
Headline: Trump slashes mental health agency as shutdown drags on
Lede: Sources tell NPR that more than 100 employees have been laid off at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Agency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had some cuts reversed late Saturday.
Geoff Brumfiel, Rhitu Chatterjee • October 11, 2025 07:10 PM EDT

Employees were notified of a "Reduction in Force" shortly before 8 p.m. ET on Friday, according to a source within the agency who was not authorized to discuss the layoffs publicly. According to the source, administration officials offered no rationale for who lost their jobs:
"I think the general feeling today is shock
— and not understanding why?" the source told NPR.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

I just gave a Pez dispenser of Garfield in a chef hat to a person who is almost entirely a stranger. That’s how you make friends, right? (Genuinely true story)

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

Makes sense. Given the timing of everything, Trump’s first big trip was to prepare for Israel’s upcoming strike on Iran. Obviously, among other things, such as ridiculous planes.

Air Force One Gold Card Edition Coming Soon!

www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...

The Washington post
Headline:
Arab states expanded cooperation with Israeli military during Gaza war, files show
Lede:
Israeli and Arab military officials have come together for meetings and trainings, facilitated by U.S. Central Command, on regional threats, Iran and underground tunnels.
October 11 at 10:04 AM 2025

Even as key Arab states condemned the war in the Gaza Strip, they quietly expanded security cooperation with the Israeli military, leaked U.S. documents reveal. Those military ties were thrown into crisis after Israel's September airstrike in Qatar, but could now play a key role in overseeing the nascent ceasefire in Gaza.

Screenshot of older news:
CBS NEWS
Headline: What's behind Trump's focus on business deals during Saudi visit
Lede: Trump arrives in Saudi Arabia, beginning the first international trip of his new term
By Kaia Hubbard
Updated on: May 13, 2025 / 8:38 PM EDT
Washington - President Trump arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, beginning a three-nation visit to the region and the first international trip of his second administration.

abc NEWS
Jumping into an article about the plane:
The Trump administration has accepted the
"unconditional donation" of a luxury jet from Qatar, with no stipulation on what should happen to the aircraft after President Donald Trump leaves office, according to an agreement reviewed by ABC News.
The memorandum of understanding, or MOU, was signed earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Affairs, Soud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
The deal paves the way for the Air Force to begin the process of retrofitting the plane --dubbed a "flying palace" because of its luxurious finishes -- for the president's use.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

The US is becoming more and more of a financial paper tiger propped up by the largest military in the world (by far).

If we break into 6-12 countries we can put sensible regulation back in place before the economy implodes (for everyone who isn’t an oligarch). Or before we start WWIII.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

The United States began its (modern) fascist journey the day WWII ended. Every hippie flower in a gun barrel since just pushed the “center” towards fascism.

And now The Troops™ are Preferred Citizens and to question that is heresy. Of course they get paid.

www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

The Washington ost
Headline:
Trump orders Defense Dept. to issue military paychecks during shutdown
Lede: Trump said that the Pentagon would repurpose money to make payroll, as military service members were poised to miss paychecks on Wednesday. Most other government workers will not be paid.
October 11 at 2:26 PM 2025

Reposted by matt the secessionist

inblacknwhite @imagetree.bsky.social · 2d

Fk what ever plan the West has for Palestine. You and I know what ever it is it won't be for the benefit of Palestinians. The bottom line is Gaza is still occupied by Western colonizers, Palestine is still not free and the issue of the West Bank has largely gone unaddressed.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 2d

Let’s return to a more tactile world.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3d

Fuck Columbus Day. Fuck these bullshit War on Christmas tactics.

But they are easy wins for a base that believes everything they consume via a screen because any amount of critical thinking is too much work when you can just swipe to the next video.

www.npr.org/2025/10/11/n...

npr
Headline: Trump issues a Columbus Day proclamation to 'reclaim' the explorer's legacy
Lede: President Trump said "left-wing radicals" have tried to tarnish Columbus' legacy, and the proclamation is a way to preserve it. Some experts say it's a way to erase the heritage of Native Americans.
Ayana Archie • October 11, 2025 06:01 AM EDT

President Trump has signed a proclamation declaring Monday to be Columbus Day, in an effort to "reclaim" what he called the famed explorer's
"extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue."

"The proclamation reiterates the American fantasy of Columbus' voyage, as solely a story of discovery and exploration, versus what it really was about - commerce and the exploitation of resources," said Malloy, the San José State professor. "You can't tell a story without telling both sides of it."
Still, the president is encouraging Americans to celebrate Columbus in some way on the holiday, and display the U.S. flag on all public buildings.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3d

I hate RFK Jr so fucking much.

"Children who are circumcised early have double the rate of autism, and it's highly likely because they're given Tylenol," Kennedy said in a meeting about his push to discourage the use of Tylenol among pregnant women over autism concerns, which has drawn widespread concern among medical professionals over its lack of evidence.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3d

Link to the journalist story:
chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

Link to the pastor/rubber bullet story:
www.fox32chicago.com/news/video-f...

Federal immigration authorities made multiple arrests Friday morning and detained a WGN-TV employee after targeting a small group of landscapers in Lincoln Square on the North Side. The chaotic scene ended with the agents slamming into a woman's vehicle and speeding off.
That woman watched as her boyfriend's car was towed hours later with part of its rear bumper hanging off. She said she lives in the area but declined to comment further

Other bystanders described the scene in the middle of the street in the 2400 block of West Foster Avenue as "violent" and
"horrifying.
Videos posted online showed U.S. Border Patrol agents dressed in tactical gear kneeling over a woman who they had face down on the street with her hands behind her back. In one video, the woman identified herself as Debbie Brockman and said she
works for WGN-TV. A neighbor who witnessed the agents said she didn't know why Brockman was being detained.

FOX 32
CHICAGO
Watch Live
Video shows federal agent shoot Chicago pastor in head with pepper ball during
Broadview ICE protest
By Nic Flosi | Published October 8, 2025 2:01 pm CDT
| Immigration | FOX 32 Chicago | A

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3d

Regular reminder, no tech is safe.

All the Tech Oligarchs travelled to maralago to bend the knee.

(Bonus screenshot from when I was looking up the link)

www.wired.com/story/apple-...

WIRED
Headline:
Apple Took Down These ICE-Tracking
Apps. The Developers Aren't Giving Up
Lede:
"We are going to do everything in our power to fight this," says ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron after Apple removed his app from the App Store.
REECE ROGERS AND LILY HAY NEWMAN
10.09.25 13:10 PM

Mark's app, a platform built to serve as a repository for videos and other materials documenting ICE activity, is not alone in getting kicked off Apple's App Store.
Earlier in October, ICEBlock was among the first ICE-related apps Apple removed.
The decision followed claims from US attorney general Pam Bondi that such tools endanger ICE officers. Apple has also removed other tracking apps-including Red Dot and DEICER-as well as Eyes Up.

Notification: Happy Gilmore Producer Buys
Spyware Maker NSO Group
LILY HAY NEWMAN

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 3d

A photo of a neighborhood yard with gravestones that say:
“1st Amendment 1789-2024”
“RIP DEI”
And my favorite, “Due Process 1789-2024”

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 4d

To be fair, it never actually was the United States of America you were raised on, but it is gonna take me a few videos to explain that sorta stuff. Hopefully coming soon.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 4d

When I get hung as a seditionist, remember that it was because I rejected policies of hatred and violence and selfishness and nationalism and greed and ownership and power.

This is not the United States of America you were raised on.

It really sucks that so many people can’t see that.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 4d

I can’t pretend I am all up-to-date on Venezuelan politics, but it is worth noting who the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

Headline: WHY MARÍA
MACHADO DESERVED THE NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE
Lede: The Venezuelan opposition leader shows why participation matters.
By Anne Applebaum
OCTOBER 10, 2025

María Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited "her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela" and "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." When announcing the award, the committee chair described her as "a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.

This metaphor is apt. Machado is in hiding, deep inside a country that is failing. I spoke with her twice late last year, without knowing where she was. A few months before, the country had just held presidential elections. The
opposition movement that she leads had won. Even though activists were being picked up off the streets, or simply shot and killed, they had held a primary, run a presidential campaign —Machado herself was barred, so Edmundo González was the candidate-and made sure that votes were counted accurately. Still, even after his definitive loss, Nicolás Maduro, the country's illegitimate leader, refused to hand over power.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 4d

We will invade countries in South America until their leaders are all authoritarians in Trump’s image.

It is not if, just how long until that becomes the focus? For sure before 2028, probably late summer/fall 2026.

www.theatlantic.com/national-sec...

THE BOAT STRIKES
ARE JUST THE BEGINNING
What the Trump administration is portraying as a drug mission may be about a lot more.
By Nancy A. Youssef, Gisela Salim-Peyer and Jonathan Lemire
OCTOBER 09, 2025

Both hawkish and isolationist figures in Donald Trump's orbit have found reasons to support the strikes. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, for instance, is a hard-liner on Latin America who has advocated for the ouster of leftist strongmen, including in Cuba, Nicaragua, and, of course, Venezuela. Rubio-whose home state of Florida has a large Venezuelan population
—has spoken against Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, who stole the country's most recent election and is not recognized by the United States as the legitimate Venezuelan leader. In Rubio's mind, perhaps, the strikes could weaken Maduro's political and economic grip and bring about regime change.

Then there are the senior officials who see Venezuela as a means to project a tough-guy, defender-of-the-homeland image.
Stephen Miller views the air strikes as an opportunity to paint immigrants as a dangerous menace, according to one of the White House officials. Vice President
J. D. Vance, though often inclined toward isolationism, has pushed the necessity of defending U.S. borders. And Hegseth, who prefers to be known as the war secretary, is seeking a means of projecting military strength in a region where Defense Department planners hope to reassert American primacy.

"Whatever happens," the former official said, "the administration will say they lessened the flow of drugs, no matter how slight or small or that we murdered people in international waters."
T
HE PARIA PENINSULA, On Venezuela's eastern coast, is
known for its golden-sand beaches, its forested hills, and its blue-green waters.
It's also a center of Venezuelan drug trafficking. Off its coasts, the U.S. has been hunting boats.
We talked by phone with Beatriz, who has lived in the area most of her life. The

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 4d

~24 hours later:

abcnews.go.com/US/trump-app...

Headline: New York AG Letitia James indicted for alleged fraud following pressure from Trump
Lede: She becomes the second political figure in three weeks to face prosecution.
By Pierre Thomas, Katherine Faulders, Alexander
Mallin
Oct 09, 2025, 4:30 PM EDT

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 5d

Get your politics out of my sports!

Stop playing the national anthem at sporting events.

Most of the players on the team aren’t even American!

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 5d

Anyway, mostly just wanted to reread the article. I am sure I will have some thought later and will quote tweet myself as per usual.

matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 5d

I grew up with computers. I had an Apple II in my kindergarten classroom.

I have watched the distrust in the internet morph into unquestioning loyalty to any content that aligns with truthiness beliefs.

While search engines give us limitless memory, people can’t recall the news from 2 weeks ago.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 5d

This piece has been in my brain for a long time. It unfortunately doesn’t offer much science and I have quibbles.

But it asks interesting questions that were ignored in the name of capitalism and “progress.”

The information assault has grown exponentially.

www.theatlantic.com/magazine/arc...

The Atlantic
Headline: Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Lede: What the Internet is doing to our brains
NICHOLAS CARR JULY/AUGUST 2008

The human brain is almost infinitely mal-leable. People used to think that our mental meshwork, the dense connections formed among the 100 billion or so neurons inside our skulls, was largely fixed by the time we reached adulthood. But brain researchers have discovered that that's not the case.
James Olds, a professor of neuroscience who directs the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study at George Mason Univer-sity, says that even the adult mind "is very plastic." Nerve cells routinely break old connections and form new ones. "The brain," according to Olds, "has the ability to reprogram itself on the fly, altering the way it functions.'

When the Net absorbs a medium, that medium is re-created in the Net's image. It injects the medium's content with hyper-links, blinking ads, and other digital gew-gaws, and it surrounds the content with the content of all the other media it has absorbed. A new e-mail message, for instance, may announce its arrival as we're glancing over the latest headlines at a newspaper's site. The result is to scatter our attention and diffuse our concentration.
The Net's influence doesn't end at the edges of a computer screen, either. As people's minds become attuned to the crazy quilt of Internet media, traditional media have to adapt to the audience's new expectations.
Television programs add text crawls and pop-up ads, and magazines and newspapers shorten their articles, introduce capsule summaries, and crowd their pages with easy-to-browse info-snippets. When, in

The idea that our minds should operate as high-speed data-processing machines is not only built into the workings of the Internet, it is the network's reigning business model as well. The faster we surf across the Web-the more links we click and pages we view— the more opportunities Google and other companies gain to collect information about us and to feed us advertisements. Most of the proprietors of the commercial Internet have a financial stake in collecting the crumbs of data we leave behind as we flit from link to link-the more crumbs, the bet-ter. The last thing these companies want is to encourage leisurely reading or slow, concentrated thought. It's in their economic interest to drive us to distraction.

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matt the secessionist @mattqhuman.bsky.social · 5d

You may scratch your head at my connection. There is, of course, a major piece that was not in the news in the last hour.

ICE, Donald Trump’s Golden Heel, will be the key to his authoritarian grip and everyone at ICE knows this.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_...

CBS NEWS
Headline:
Trump's "big, beautiful bill" gives ICE unprecedented funds to ramp up mass
deportation campaign
By Camilo Montoya-Galvez
Updated on: July 10, 2025 / 4:59 PM EDT / CBS News

Screenshot of Wikipedia:

Police forces of Nazi Germany
Article
There were two main Police forces of Nazi Germany under the Reichsführer-SS, Heinrich
Himmler from 1936:
• Ordnungspolizei (Orpo; order police) consisting of the regular uniformed police
• Gemeindepolizei (GemPo; municipal protection police)
• Schutzpolizei (SchuPo; state protection police)
• Sicherheitspolizei (SiPo; security police) consisting of two sub-departments, the Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo; secret state police) and Kriminalpolizei (Kripo; criminal police)
In September 1939, the SiPo and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) were folded into the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (RSHA; Reich