Rhys Needham
@rhysneedham.bsky.social
Je Suis Marxiste, Tendance Harpo (...movie star, movie star...)
Mostly Harmless. Panicking optional.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Ex-Douglas Bader Meinhof Gang.
Yasser (Arafat), I can boogie all night long.
Views pilfered from everyone else's
Mostly Harmless. Panicking optional.
Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.
Ex-Douglas Bader Meinhof Gang.
Yasser (Arafat), I can boogie all night long.
Views pilfered from everyone else's
Reposted by Rhys Needham
How Vaccines Work 🧬🧫🧪🔬💉🥽
February 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
How Vaccines Work 🧬🧫🧪🔬💉🥽
Reposted by Rhys Needham
I am pretty certain Trump's approval would go into freefall if this ends up happening. It's going to be very hard to manufacture consent for this.
BESSENT SAYS IF TRUMP WINS IRS SUIT, $10B WOULD COME FROM TAXPAYERS
February 5, 2026 at 5:06 PM
I am pretty certain Trump's approval would go into freefall if this ends up happening. It's going to be very hard to manufacture consent for this.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
It genuinely seems like the Democratic leadership thinks American are too stupid to understand this stuff.
But Senators Kim and Gallego are doing a damn fine job and breaking it down and showing how nakedly corrupt this shit is in a way that would make people insane if they actually saw it.
But Senators Kim and Gallego are doing a damn fine job and breaking it down and showing how nakedly corrupt this shit is in a way that would make people insane if they actually saw it.
KIM: When Binance founder Zhao pleaded guilty to violating money laundering laws & was sent to prison, Binance injected billions into Trump's business & Zhao was pardoned. Is that a conflict?
BESSENT: I'm unfamiliar with any of that
KIM: Is it a conflict?
BESSENT: Again, I'm not going to respond
BESSENT: I'm unfamiliar with any of that
KIM: Is it a conflict?
BESSENT: Again, I'm not going to respond
February 5, 2026 at 5:00 PM
It genuinely seems like the Democratic leadership thinks American are too stupid to understand this stuff.
But Senators Kim and Gallego are doing a damn fine job and breaking it down and showing how nakedly corrupt this shit is in a way that would make people insane if they actually saw it.
But Senators Kim and Gallego are doing a damn fine job and breaking it down and showing how nakedly corrupt this shit is in a way that would make people insane if they actually saw it.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
it’s also a very stupid thing to be hung up on because the ultimate cause of globalization wasn’t ideological! it’s just basic economics, and one of the main beneficiaries of globalization has been “communist” China. framing a fight in those terms is framing it as a fight that you are doomed to lose
February 4, 2026 at 9:17 PM
it’s also a very stupid thing to be hung up on because the ultimate cause of globalization wasn’t ideological! it’s just basic economics, and one of the main beneficiaries of globalization has been “communist” China. framing a fight in those terms is framing it as a fight that you are doomed to lose
Reposted by Rhys Needham
the thing that’s so strange about the current american billionaire class is precisely the fact that they have chosen, as a class, to forego maximizing their own wealth in order to pursue cultural and political power, not as tools to further profit, but as the ends in themselves
February 4, 2026 at 9:19 PM
the thing that’s so strange about the current american billionaire class is precisely the fact that they have chosen, as a class, to forego maximizing their own wealth in order to pursue cultural and political power, not as tools to further profit, but as the ends in themselves
Reposted by Rhys Needham
One reason that institutional capital is significantly better than oligarchic capital is that it is actually profit-maximizing—often something that can cohabitate with the social good—rather than hegemony-maximizing.
the thing that’s so strange about the current american billionaire class is precisely the fact that they have chosen, as a class, to forego maximizing their own wealth in order to pursue cultural and political power, not as tools to further profit, but as the ends in themselves
February 5, 2026 at 4:26 PM
One reason that institutional capital is significantly better than oligarchic capital is that it is actually profit-maximizing—often something that can cohabitate with the social good—rather than hegemony-maximizing.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
We all forgot about this but this is probably the best headline to explain the guys whole vibe
February 5, 2026 at 4:10 PM
We all forgot about this but this is probably the best headline to explain the guys whole vibe
Reposted by Rhys Needham
my most peepaw-coded trait is that I angrily refuse to use DoorDash (and similar apps) because I know the markup is so insane versus “picking the food up myself” - and that money doesn’t go to the restaurant.
By god, I will drive or walk my ass over to the restaurant and get it myself.
By god, I will drive or walk my ass over to the restaurant and get it myself.
February 5, 2026 at 6:00 AM
my most peepaw-coded trait is that I angrily refuse to use DoorDash (and similar apps) because I know the markup is so insane versus “picking the food up myself” - and that money doesn’t go to the restaurant.
By god, I will drive or walk my ass over to the restaurant and get it myself.
By god, I will drive or walk my ass over to the restaurant and get it myself.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Jeff Bezos Changes Washington Post’s Slogan To ‘Love You, Babe’ After Getting Into Fight With Lauren Sánchez https://theonion.com/jeff-bezos-changes-washington-posts-slogan-to-love-you-babe-after-getting-into-fight-with-lauren-sanchez/
February 5, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Jeff Bezos Changes Washington Post’s Slogan To ‘Love You, Babe’ After Getting Into Fight With Lauren Sánchez https://theonion.com/jeff-bezos-changes-washington-posts-slogan-to-love-you-babe-after-getting-into-fight-with-lauren-sanchez/
Reposted by Rhys Needham
The world factbook was an invaluable resource in asylum petitions—a place where the federal government acknowledged in writing that, for example, Tibetans face systematic repression in China. I don’t like to have it vanish.
Add the CIA World Factbook to the long and growing list of disappearing government datasets: www.cia.gov/stories/stor...
February 5, 2026 at 2:42 PM
The world factbook was an invaluable resource in asylum petitions—a place where the federal government acknowledged in writing that, for example, Tibetans face systematic repression in China. I don’t like to have it vanish.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
I Barfed Chandler
United States, Census, 1940
United States, Census, 1940
February 5, 2026 at 2:29 PM
I Barfed Chandler
United States, Census, 1940
United States, Census, 1940
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Famine conditions spread to more towns in Sudan’s Darfur, experts warn https://aje.news/anfwrg
February 5, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Famine conditions spread to more towns in Sudan’s Darfur, experts warn https://aje.news/anfwrg
Reposted by Rhys Needham
i feel like american political elites are completely unprepared to tackle with tangibel threats to their democracy beyond "shaming random people for being too to win wisconsin" because they don't actually think democracy itself could disappear. in brazil and south korea they do believe it.
A story relevant to ICE election threats.
On Election Day 2022 in Brazil, the Bolsonaro government had Federal Highway Police place roadblocks in his opponent Lula's northeastern strongholds.
But courts intervened; Lula won. The highway police chief is now serving a 24 years prison sentence.
On Election Day 2022 in Brazil, the Bolsonaro government had Federal Highway Police place roadblocks in his opponent Lula's northeastern strongholds.
But courts intervened; Lula won. The highway police chief is now serving a 24 years prison sentence.
February 5, 2026 at 2:02 PM
i feel like american political elites are completely unprepared to tackle with tangibel threats to their democracy beyond "shaming random people for being too to win wisconsin" because they don't actually think democracy itself could disappear. in brazil and south korea they do believe it.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
It is amazing how bad the tech rich are at doing big public things to launder their reputations. Like, even the robber barons could do it!
(The reason, of course, was that for all their flaws, the robber barons cared about their reputations and their institutions. 1/
(The reason, of course, was that for all their flaws, the robber barons cared about their reputations and their institutions. 1/
If the plan was just to put WaPo to work for Bezos's other business interests, I'm pretty sure they could have done that in a less shambolic fashion. So while Bezos's attempts to cozy up to the regime are for sure part of the problem, don't discount his hubris, myopia, and petulance.
February 5, 2026 at 1:48 PM
It is amazing how bad the tech rich are at doing big public things to launder their reputations. Like, even the robber barons could do it!
(The reason, of course, was that for all their flaws, the robber barons cared about their reputations and their institutions. 1/
(The reason, of course, was that for all their flaws, the robber barons cared about their reputations and their institutions. 1/
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Martin Weil, one of hundreds of journalists being let go at The Washington Post, has worked on local news there since 1965.
He Was Laid Off at The Washington Post After Working There 60 Years
Martin Weil, one of hundreds being let go at The Post, has worked on local news there since 1965, witnessing the paper’s rise and now retrenchment.
nyti.ms
February 5, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Martin Weil, one of hundreds of journalists being let go at The Washington Post, has worked on local news there since 1965.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Turns out when the metaphorical barrel of a gun is pressed against your forehead, a lot of luxury beliefs like being an alt-health quack sudden vanish from your mind.
SOUTH CAROLINA MEASLES VACCINATIONS UP OVER 7,000 DOSES IN JAN 2026 Y/Y, LED BY 72% SURGE IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA REPORTS ONE CASE OF MEASLES-RELATED ENCEPHALITIS AMID OUTBREAK
February 5, 2026 at 2:43 AM
Turns out when the metaphorical barrel of a gun is pressed against your forehead, a lot of luxury beliefs like being an alt-health quack sudden vanish from your mind.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
I really think "12 year olds should be able to look up the size of each country's army" might be a load bearing column.
Killing the CIA World Factbook might seem like small potatoes, but it was a touchstone of curated facts in a sea of disinformation.
February 5, 2026 at 12:50 PM
I really think "12 year olds should be able to look up the size of each country's army" might be a load bearing column.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
No longer publishing the CIA World Factbook seems like a questionable decision. But taking all previous versions down from the website, so no one can access them, feels aggressively vindictive.
February 5, 2026 at 12:50 PM
No longer publishing the CIA World Factbook seems like a questionable decision. But taking all previous versions down from the website, so no one can access them, feels aggressively vindictive.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
I genuinely thought there might be some buying support at $69,420 come on guys
February 5, 2026 at 1:26 PM
I genuinely thought there might be some buying support at $69,420 come on guys
Reposted by Rhys Needham
There is a deep irony in the fact that we could simultaneously make things way more liberal than they are while lying to people that we're making them more conservative
"we are cutting foreign aid to 2% of the budget" (this would be roughly a doubling of aid, but people assume it's like ~25%)
"we are cutting foreign aid to 2% of the budget" (this would be roughly a doubling of aid, but people assume it's like ~25%)
One of the most successful GOP lies is that, there is some magic line that illegal immigrants are just cutting to come into the country, and that they only wanted to deport the criminal ones of those, and, A, there is no line, and B, they want to deport anybody that isn’t Lily white. And yet
one area where popularism is most preposterous is where voters are quite obviously confused
February 4, 2026 at 6:38 PM
There is a deep irony in the fact that we could simultaneously make things way more liberal than they are while lying to people that we're making them more conservative
"we are cutting foreign aid to 2% of the budget" (this would be roughly a doubling of aid, but people assume it's like ~25%)
"we are cutting foreign aid to 2% of the budget" (this would be roughly a doubling of aid, but people assume it's like ~25%)
Reposted by Rhys Needham
The only response here is a motion to enjoin the whole operation
If the government's position is "I'm sorry your honor but we don't be the capacity to both respect constitutional rights and conduct the operation as it is currently being conducted" the answer is "then you must stop the operation"
If the government's position is "I'm sorry your honor but we don't be the capacity to both respect constitutional rights and conduct the operation as it is currently being conducted" the answer is "then you must stop the operation"
Flooding the zone with shit, but for the legal system. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/05/u...
Surge in Immigration Cases in Minnesota Pushes Prosecutors and Judges to Brink
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2026 at 1:29 PM
The only response here is a motion to enjoin the whole operation
If the government's position is "I'm sorry your honor but we don't be the capacity to both respect constitutional rights and conduct the operation as it is currently being conducted" the answer is "then you must stop the operation"
If the government's position is "I'm sorry your honor but we don't be the capacity to both respect constitutional rights and conduct the operation as it is currently being conducted" the answer is "then you must stop the operation"
Reposted by Rhys Needham
Reposted by Rhys Needham
mainly, I want to help more people learn to cook simple meals because it makes me *real* mad to see parasites like DoorDash and Uber Eats making big bucks off price-gouging both small restaurant businesses and stressed out normal people.
February 5, 2026 at 5:59 AM
mainly, I want to help more people learn to cook simple meals because it makes me *real* mad to see parasites like DoorDash and Uber Eats making big bucks off price-gouging both small restaurant businesses and stressed out normal people.
Reposted by Rhys Needham
one thing i have noticed is a lot of folks do not seem to understand the difference between a presidential election and 435+ legislative elections. i have seen any number of people say that you could subvert the outcome this november by targeting “swing states,” which does not make any sense.
February 5, 2026 at 1:26 PM
one thing i have noticed is a lot of folks do not seem to understand the difference between a presidential election and 435+ legislative elections. i have seen any number of people say that you could subvert the outcome this november by targeting “swing states,” which does not make any sense.
To the tune of the worst version of Yellow Submarine you've ever heard in your life.
February 5, 2026 at 1:32 PM
To the tune of the worst version of Yellow Submarine you've ever heard in your life.