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Michael Gould-Wartofsky

@mgouldwartofsky.bsky.social

3.2K followers 520 following 130 posts

Scholar of the far right + the radical left. Author of The Occupiers (Oxford 2015), Resistance (forthcoming). PhD in Sociology. Nothing human is alien to me. https://thecriticalrealist.com

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Michael Gould-Wartofsky @mgouldwartofsky.bsky.social · Sep 10

Welcome to the newest iteration of my newsletter: The Critical Realist.

Powered by @ghost.org and readers like you, The Critical Realist will feature writings on politics, culture, and society, alongside updates on future plans, forthcoming projects, and works in progress.

thecriticalrealist.com.

The Critical Realist

Writings on politics, culture, and society by Dr. Michael Gould-Wartofsky.

thecriticalrealist.com

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Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein.bsky.social · 17h

Letitia James and James Comey have the best lawyers on earth and will almost certainly be fine. The fact that there’s a zillion stories about them and virtually none about NSPM-7 - which affects countless ordinary people - really says something about who the media writes for

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Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 1d

I wrote about Chicago: "Is this city burning? There is a definite answer to the question. In all these cities, the answer is no. No American city is currently on fire, and if Chicago is a war zone, it’s because it’s being invaded by the president."

Trump Is Waging War on an American City

The real threat to people in Chicago (and Los Angeles and Portland) is our maniacal president.

newrepublic.com

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Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 1d

Chat is it a good sign that it took national reporters an entire month to finally pay attention to the third largest metro in the country being invaded

Second Great Bisexual Awakening @suesswassersee.bsky.social · 2d

I'm really glad more people are realizing how brutal ICE has been in Chicago but it's really weird to see people talking about Rev Black getting attacked like it happened yesterday and not 3 weeks ago. Like, I'm glad people are catching up! But it's very weird.

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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 1d

the "doing politics the right way" continues

Jared Holt @jaredlholt.bsky.social · 1d

I went ahead and did the starting work for someone who wants to chase this angle. Most right-wing influencers who participated in the "Antifa" roundtable at the White House yesterday have easily provable ties to TPUSA (8 of 12). The other four need a closer look I don't have time for right now.

right-wing influencers standing for a photo together at the white house

(Left to Right)

Jack Posobiec - TPUSA employee
Seamus Bruner - Government Accountability Institute (GAI)
James Klug - TPUSA Ambassador
Jonathan Cho - TPUSA employee
Nick Sortor - Influencer
Julio Rosas - Former TPUSA, Blaze Media
Nick Shirley - Influencer
Andy Ngo - Human Events Media Group*
Brandi Kruse - Influencer
Savannah Hernandez - TPUSA employee
Katie Daviscourt - Former TPUSA, Human Events Media Group*
Cam Higby - TPUSA employee

(Human Events Media Group is closely tied to TPUSA. https://humanevents.com/about-human-events )

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Leah Feiger @leahfeiger.bsky.social · 1d

WIRED spoke with Mark Bray, the Rutgers historian trying to flee to Spain with his family after an online campaign from far-right influencers was followed by death threats. He was turned back from the airport on his first attempt.

read @davidgilbert.bsky.social:

He Wrote a Book About Antifa. Death Threats Are Driving Him Out of the US

Rutgers historian Mark Bray is trying to flee to Spain after after an online campaign from far-right influencers was followed by death threats. He was turned back at the airport on his first attempt.

www.wired.com

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Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

Prem Thakker ツ @premthakker.bsky.social · 1d

My gosh. After the US bombed multiple boats in the middle of the ocean, murdering people on grounds that they were allegedly "carrying drugs," the US Attorney General says "Just like we did with cartels, we're going to take the same approach, President Trump, with Antifa."

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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

Trump: "We took the freedom of speech away because that's been through the courts and the courts said you have freedom of speech, but what has happened is when they burn a flag it agitates and irritates crowds."

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 2d

ICE is not only chasing down every random brown person in Chicago, they have a cameraman following them to film this for social media. Cruelty and inhumanity as content.

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Melissa Gira Grant @melissagiragrant.com · 2d

starting to think much of the “how democracies end”/“how autocracies are born” literature could benefit from considering the actual existence of American law enforcement

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Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

Eman Abdelhadi @emanabdelhadi.bsky.social · 3d

2 years of genocide. I mourn the dead, and I mourn the living. None of us will ever be the same, none of us should ever be the same.

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Steve Mullis @stevemullis.net · 3d

"hand-to-hand combat with antifa every night"

a guy in a frog costume standing facing a line of police and ICE agents in Portland

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steven monacelli @stevanzetti.bsky.social · 3d

Law enforcement historically loves announcing their undercover operations ahead of time

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches Under- cover Operations to Infil- trate and Uproot Leftist Terror Cells in Texas After Increased Political Violence

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Gillian Brockell @gbrockell.bsky.social · 3d

Claim: 10 cars rammed ICE
Truth: No cars rammed ICE

Claim: She boxed ICE in
Truth: ICE boxed her in

Claim: She shot a rifle at ICE
Truth: She did not have a rifle

Claim: ICE returned fire
Truth: Only ICE fired

Claim: She drove herself to the hospital
Truth: Paramedics found her

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 3d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Michael Gould-Wartofsky @mgouldwartofsky.bsky.social · 3d

Strength and solidarity to you and your family, Mark.

Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 5d

I’ve received multiple death threats + doxing (including my home address) directly following harassment from Turning Point USA, Jack Posobiec, Andy NGO, + Fox News which called me an antifa ‘financier.’

I have been forced to move my classes online.

If journalists want to talk, DM me or reply here.

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Michael Gould-Wartofsky @mgouldwartofsky.bsky.social · 3d

Sending solidarity and strength.

Reposted by Michael Gould-Wartofsky

unraveled @unraveledpress.com · 3d

Well, yeah, we're suing ICE.

This wasn't really a hard decision. As little faith as we have in institutions, we recognize the value of drawing visible lines in the sand. We drew ours personally a while ago, but better late than never.

May every protester be freed and may this occupation end.

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Anna Merlan @annamerlan.bsky.social · 4d

Let it never again be said that a woman with no real reporting experience who fell for a Twitter account called "Official Antifa" cannot be the head of a huge news organization

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Kyle Cheney @kyledcheney.bsky.social · 4d

UPDATE: Hegseth today called up 400 members of the Texas National Guard, with Gov. Abbott's apparent permission, to be deployed "where needed, including in the cities of Portland and Chicago." www.politico.com/news/2025/10...

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Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 4d

chat i don't think this is good

RECAPTURE OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY!

This week, we arrested hundreds of criminal illegal aliens, terrorists, and terrorist sympathizers across our country in Portland in Chicago.

Now, we need your help. Block communists, terrorists, and globalists from ever entering our country.

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NPR @npr.org · 4d

The White House said Trump "authorized" the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members, after vowing to send troops into Chicago. Meanwhile, Guard members arrived in Oregon from California.

Trump federalizes the National Guard in Chicago, while troops arrive in Oregon

The White House said Trump "authorized" the deployment of 300 Illinois National Guard members, after vowing to send troops into Chicago. Meanwhile, Guard members arrived in Oregon from California.

n.pr

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onion person @junlper.beer · 6d

they’re intenionally advertising to and recruiting far right loyalists. they post and reply to explicit groyper memes. they’re not super subtle about what this government is

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Christopher Mathias @letsgomathias.bsky.social · 6d

Signalgate 2.0, this time not about plans for attacking Houthis in Yemen, but sending the 82nd Airborne to Portland, Oregon

taber @kvetch.gay · 6d

this is wild: while Stephen Miller's guy was in Minnesota for his uncle's funeral, somebody was able to see his entire phone and take pictures of his Signal group chats talking about military deployments to Portland, and brought them to the Strib (gift link: www.startribune.com/trump-offici...)

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Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 6d

I’m so struck by this video. A regular day in Logan Square in front of a grocery store and ICE pulls up and tear gassed people. Funston Elementary School is right across the street as well. This is a major corridor in Logan Sq. No concern for human safety

Video from: www.reddit.com/r/chicago/co...

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Aura Bogado @aurabogado.bsky.social · 7d

Shelters that house unaccompanied minors are bracing for "Freaky Friday," the start of an ICE operation that will first issue letters to children, seeking to pressure them to return to the countries they've fled in exchange for a cash payment. If they decline, their parents will be targeted by ICE.

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