Osita Nwanevu
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ositanwanevu.com
Osita Nwanevu
@ositanwanevu.com
93K followers 3.3K following 2.8K posts
Contributing Editor | The New Republic
Columnist | The Guardian
Author | The Right of the People (2025)
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Osita Nwanevu @ositanwanevu.com · 26d
I wrote about Renee Good, Venezuela, Greenland, and what it means to be a human being. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
America, JD Vance tells us, is merely a nation like many others ⁠– a “homeland”, he said upon accepting his nomination to the vice-presidency, for “people with a shared history and a common future”. That’s a vision of American identity that would have described bands of cavepeople in skins just as well or better. Stephen Miller’s proleptic defense of seizing Greenland last week suggests the Trumpists themselves know this. “We live in a world, in the real world ... that is governed by strength, that is governed by force, that is governed by power,” he declared. “These are the iron laws of the world since the beginning of time.” Miller’s laws are the laws of animals. It is true, obviously, that high ideals have long been deployed to obscure or justify predation, here and elsewhere. But Miller’s stance and the stance of the administration is that there aren’t, actually, any high ideals worth pursuing or even pretending to – that the human being, in itself, is nothing so much ⁠and that we are, fundamentally and forever, primitives. Against the demands and best aspirations of civilization – western or any kind – they tell us the human being is a creature that yearns for nothing more than blood and soil, which is, of course, just mud. The lust for mud has taken up many guises in our history and has been many given names of late – neo-reaction, post-liberalism, fascism. But the name familiar to most is evil. It was evil – the standpoint that only might matters, that human morality, and our sense of reality itself, must yield to the turfism of the primates with the biggest clubs – that ginned up the propaganda that provoked an act of terrorism against our legislature and the policemen defending it five years ago. It is evil that undergirds pronouncements from the same voices responsible for that attack, in defense of the man who shot Renee Nicole Good, that those who disobey the commands of law enforcement, however unsound or unjust, deserve summary execution – that implies, as Fox’s Jesse Watters and others have, that Good’s killing was of trivial significance because she was a lesbian “with pronouns in her bio”. It is evil that sends innocent men to foreign gulags, evil that condemns hundreds of thousands of destitute people abroad to death without a moment’s discussion or debate about what the country they had depended on might owe them, or the furnishing of alternative arrangements for their wellbeing. The gutting of USAID remains this administration’s worst and least surprising offense against the human conscience – a president who rejects the idea that we might have obligations to all within our society can’t be expected to wonder or worry about whether we have obligations to those outside of it. This is also why, after all the noise and nonsense about the need to depose the Maduro regime, the Venezuelan people are now being told that regime will be left in mostly in place for as long as it takes to secure and extract the country’s resources on our terms – that Venezuela will not see democracy unless and until it is profitable for the United States. Democracy has always been a useless abstraction to those who deny we have basic human entitlements – for those who believe, instead, that the idea of human liberty is a luxury for those wealthy and powerful enough to consider themselves our betters rather than the birthright of all. As many who’ve taken to the streets in protest have noted, the Trump administration’s assaults on liberty here at home are the kinds of abuses that spurred the revolution we will commemorate this year. But no grand revolution is in the offing this time around. The only just and plausible recourse for our situation is politics – understood not merely as the contest to win any given set of elections but as the broader fight to forge a republic that honors and strengthens our humanity. The American project must and will succeed. Its enemies stand for too little. Our lives are worth too much.
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
chrislhayes.bsky.social
I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.

Biden himself said they were fabricated!

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...
IDF accepts Gaza Health Ministry death toll of over 71,000 Palestinians killed in the war
Although Many International Experts Have Accepted the Health Ministry's Data as Reliable, and Even Conservative Relative to the True Death Toll, Israel Had Refused to Accept the Health Ministry's Coun...
www.haaretz.com
January 29, 2026 at 3:29 PM
ositanwanevu.com
Everyone is 12 theory is correct, but we should also be taxonomizing the different kinds of 12-year-olds out and about in the world. There's the puerile preteen of course, but there's also the child who thinks adulthood is about being big, strong and married while consuming a high cholesterol diet.
January 29, 2026 at 12:57 PM
ositanwanevu.com
voting machines hacked by Italian satellites
asharangappa.bsky.social Asha Rangappa @asharangappa.bsky.social · 12d
Is this real? Because if so I think I called it with twelve minutes to spare
January 29, 2026 at 4:25 AM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
benjaminchambers.bsky.social
liberalism is a radical and revolutionary doctrine again
johnbingham.bsky.social John Bingham @johnbingham.bsky.social · 12d
21st century big dividing in politics is “do you believe all humans are born free and equal”
January 29, 2026 at 3:06 AM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
adamserwer.bsky.social
I spoke to a woman at the protest in minneapolis and she explained she wanted to be there in part because "i was a kid when george floyd got killed" and i nearly dropped my recorder
January 28, 2026 at 10:00 PM
ositanwanevu.com
The main problem with the 'Democrats just need to moderate to win' thesis is that a lot of Glup Shitto moderates no one remembers or cares about have also lost.
sharonk.bsky.social Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 12d
you can't tell me that a girl named Blanche Lincoln was real. what do you mean she's real
timprice.bsky.social Tim Price @timprice.bsky.social · 12d
Let’s remember some guys: Max Baucus. Blanche Lincoln. Arlen Specter. Literally Robert Byrd.
January 28, 2026 at 9:02 PM
ositanwanevu.com
Joe Biden was the best domestic policy Democrat since Lyndon Johnson. He was also the worst foreign policy Democrat since Lyndon Johnson.
sharonk.bsky.social Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 12d
obama was probably the best president of our lifetime and biden the second

which honestly says something about the current bar
toobigtofail.bsky.social Too Big to Fail @toobigtofail.bsky.social · 12d
In the fullness of time I think we'll all come to recognize that Obama kinda sucked.
January 28, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
mcopelov.bsky.social
A lot of our current politics stems from the fact that a lot of folks have completely fabricated in their memories a different Barack Obama & a different 2008-16 than the ones that actually existed, because he was very good at the "be a decent human" & "give good speeches" parts of the presidency.
althistorian.bsky.social The Alternate Historian @althistorian.bsky.social · 12d
I mean yeah. Look at the lifetime of your average millennial:

Reagan: Ugh
Bush Sr: More of the same
Clinton: Meh
Bush Jr: Lots of bad
Obama: OK this is good
Trump I: Fuck
Biden: There were SOME good things here
Trump II: Fuckity fuck fuck fuck
sharonk.bsky.social Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · 12d
obama was probably the best president of our lifetime and biden the second

which honestly says something about the current bar
January 28, 2026 at 7:13 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
nycsouthpaw.bsky.social
just limitless depravity
tusk81.bsky.social Gabe Ortíz @tusk81.bsky.social · 13d
Maher Tarabishi, who has been detained by ICE since October, was the primary caretaker of his disabled adult child, Wael.

On Jan. 23, Wael died from complications related to Pompe disease, a rare genetic condition.

ICE has now denied Maher’s request to attend his funeral, his attorney says.
ICE Denies Detainee's Request to Attend His Son's Funeral, Attorney Says
Maher Tarabishi was the primary caretaker of his son, Wael Tarabishi, 30, who died on Friday, Jan. 23, from complications related to Pompe disease.
people.com
January 28, 2026 at 12:22 AM
ositanwanevu.com
'And while I don't believe in phrenology...I do'
caitlingilbert.bsky.social Caitlin Gilbert @caitlingilbert.bsky.social · 13d
In response to announcement that he will be a new CBS contributor, Andrew Huberman tweeted “I’ve always gone issue-by-issue on health & science, spoken to experts w/a range of takes & presented where I see the center of (data) mass pointed. I’ll do the same with @CBSNews”. In Sept he posted this:
Screenshot of tweet from Huberman that reads: “The other is that dog breeds w/different shaped heads are predictive of their demeanor and intelligence. And while I don’t! believe in Phrenology I now do pay some attention to how the shapes of peoples heads relates to their intellect and steadiness, or lack thereof.”
January 28, 2026 at 7:04 PM
ositanwanevu.com
Here's hoping that Sam Altman continues praising Donald Trump, that his remarks are widely disseminated, and that all those using or considering using ChatGPT hear them.
paulwaldman.bsky.social Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 12d
"President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country." Such a courageous statement from Sam Altman to OpenAI employees.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/b...
I love the US and its values of democracy and freedom and will be supportive of the country however I can; OpenAI will too. But part of loving the country is the American duty to push back against overreach. What’s happening with ICE is going too far. There is a big difference between deporting violent criminals and what’s happening now, and we need to get the distinction right. President Trump is a very strong leader, and I hope he will rise to this moment and unite the country. I am encouraged by the last few hours of response and hope to see trust rebuilt with transparent investigations. As a company, we aim to stick to our convictions and not get blown around by changing fashions too much. We didn’t become super woke when that was popular, we didn’t start talking about masculine corporate energy when that was popular, and we are not going to make a lot of performative statements now about safety or politics or anything else. But we are going to continue to try to figure out how to actually do the right thing as best as we can, engage with leaders and push for our values, and speak up clearly about it as needed.
January 28, 2026 at 3:46 PM
ositanwanevu.com
It's called Flapping Airplanes because they couldn't do Wile E. Coyote.
January 28, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
leftistwonk.bsky.social
Absolutely incredible sequence from CNN.

"Maduro was a paranoid lunatic always lying about the CIA trying to overthrow him. Anyways, now that the CIA has overthrown him..."
It remains to be seen how the Venezuelan people will respond to a more overt CIA presence in the country post-Maduro. For years, Maduro cast the CIA as a convenient boogey man, repeatedly accusing the agency – without evidence – of attempting to topple his regime as he clung to power despite US opposition. Now, the CIA has helped supplant Maduro and is poised to help actively manage the Trump administration’s dealings with Venezuela’s new leadership.
January 28, 2026 at 12:41 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
Finally. A comprehensive look at the “neo-Nazi .. ethnic cleansing” content coming out of “the offices of the White House .. using official government accounts ..”

@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/27/u...
January 27, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
samthielman.com
n... no?
An AI slop image of a sexy girl with too many fingers and the erroneous caption "Egon Schiele, Seated Woman with Bent Knees, 1917" posted by the gigantic twitter account at lovedropx "Seated Woman with Bent Knees" Egon Schiele, 1917
January 27, 2026 at 4:31 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
andrewhickey.500songs.com
It is good when people *can* give their work away for free. But we live in a capitalist society where writers, artists, musicians etc have to have money to pay for food and shelter and prescriptions and the like.
Don't have a go at people charging money for their work.
January 27, 2026 at 4:21 PM
ositanwanevu.com
It does not, but our federal electoral system does, and they respond accordingly.
owillis.bsky.social Oliver Willis @owillis.bsky.social · 13d
the media and democratic senators operate like the entire world revolves around conservatives
January 27, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
daveweigel.bsky.social
Philip Glass boycotting the Kennedy Center
Philip Glass boycotting the Kennedy Center
Philip Glass boycotting the Kennedy Center
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass boycotting the Kennedy Center
January 27, 2026 at 4:17 PM
ositanwanevu.com
The reality of the situation is that whatever Trump personally thinks about anything, he is allowing Stephen Miller to run his administration because he is lazy and stupid, and the entire decision-making apparatus on immigration has been infested with Nazis.
January 27, 2026 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
slurmslurper.bsky.social
This from the woman who live-tweeted an internal New York Times staff meeting in which she referred to her colleagues as “the wokes.” God I despise these people and their brazen mendacity
professional repercussions. Several noted that Weiss has told staffers she welcomes internal debate but cannot abide public dissent.
January 27, 2026 at 1:59 PM
ositanwanevu.com
I really did think these were the same band for a bit.
juliusgoat.bsky.social A.R. Moxon @juliusgoat.bsky.social · 13d
There are a lot of daily horrors, I know, but also there is a popular band called goose and a totally unrelated popular band called geese, and this just causes me no end of delight.
January 27, 2026 at 1:57 PM
ositanwanevu.com
*guy waving a gun wildly at you* Christ, a gun! You've gotta get out of here!
theguardian.com The Guardian @theguardian.com · 14d
‘Wake up to the risks of AI, they are almost here,’ Anthropic boss warns
‘Wake up to the risks of AI, they are almost here,’ Anthropic boss warns
Dario Amodei questions if human systems are ready to handle the ‘almost unimaginable power’ that is ‘potentially imminent’ * Business live – latest updates * Quarter of Britons fear losing jobs to AI in next five years Humanity is entering a phase of artificial intelligence development that will “test who we are as a species”, the boss of leading AI startup Anthropic has said, arguing that the world needs to “wake up” to the risks. Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive of the company behind the hit chatbot Claude, voiced his fears in a 19,000-word essay entitled “the adolescence of technology”. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:07 PM
ositanwanevu.com
I would add that assuming progressive insincerity on culture and inclusion has also been a key aspect of the anti-woke center and left.
January 27, 2026 at 12:57 PM
Reposted by Osita Nwanevu
sawyer.gem-games.net
Baby Thumbnail Meme where the thumbnail shows a baby and a mother playing peekaboo. Text reads "WHERE DID SHE GO?!?!" The video title is "She Was Always There - PEEKABOO Analysis and Theory" by the Critical Suckler.
January 27, 2026 at 8:15 AM
ositanwanevu.com
Turns out that Bari Weiss's all hands at CBS today is to announce she's bringing on some anti-vax guys and Niall Ferguson. www.axios.com/2026/01/27/b...
Zoom in: The new list of contributors includes mostly podcasters and independent writers who will now have access to a large audience across CBS News' platforms, including television. Some of those personalities are existing columnists and contributors for The Free Press, including conservative historian Niall Ferguson and Patrick McGee, who covers the tech industry and China. The new lineup of contributors also features popular science podcasters Andrew Huberman and Peter Attia, prominent New York chef Clare de Boer, best-selling cookbook author Caroline Chambers and journalist Casey Lewis, who writes a Substack focused on Gen-Z and Gen Alpha trends. Huberman — a Stanford neurobiology professor who hosts a massively popular health podcast and has nearly 8 million followers on Instagram — has faced criticism for oversimplifying and sometimes misrepresenting complex research. Dr. Mark Hyman, another new CBS News contributor, is closely aligned with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the MAHA movement.
January 27, 2026 at 12:21 PM