Van Badham
@vanbadham.bsky.social
Guardian columnist, co-hosts The Week on Wednesday podcast, makes theatre, yaps a lot. Contact me: https://linktr.ee/vanbadham You should totally buy my book, QANON & ON: A Short and Shocking History of Internet Conspiracy Cults. It’s bonkers.
Pinned
Elon Musk’s Grok made the world less safe – his humiliating backdown gives me hopium | Van Badham
The AI chatbot’s torrent of nonconsensual deepfakes isn’t its first scandal and won’t be its last. Responsible governments should simply ban it
www.theguardian.com
My latest column in the @australia.theguardian.com offers the suggestion that the democracies of the world can do better than rolling over for a Bond Villain cosplayer - and the obscene outrage of Grok is our shared opportunity.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Van Badham
Get off X, fools.
January 20, 2026 at 4:57 AM
Get off X, fools.
It is not acceptable to pay ANY workers in Australia $2.50 an hour a so the union movement is fighting Carnival Cruises doing this on their Australian ships through appalling, exploitative loopholes.
Summary attached - and more information and a call to action here: www.mua.org.au/MUA/Content/...
Summary attached - and more information and a call to action here: www.mua.org.au/MUA/Content/...
January 20, 2026 at 4:32 AM
It is not acceptable to pay ANY workers in Australia $2.50 an hour a so the union movement is fighting Carnival Cruises doing this on their Australian ships through appalling, exploitative loopholes.
Summary attached - and more information and a call to action here: www.mua.org.au/MUA/Content/...
Summary attached - and more information and a call to action here: www.mua.org.au/MUA/Content/...
What I find most hilarious about the people who constantly shitcan Albo for not being left enough - like Whitlam - is that they are exactly the people who would have shitcanned Whitlam for not being left enough, like Chifley…. And shitcanned Chifley for not being left enough, and…
January 20, 2026 at 4:29 AM
What I find most hilarious about the people who constantly shitcan Albo for not being left enough - like Whitlam - is that they are exactly the people who would have shitcanned Whitlam for not being left enough, like Chifley…. And shitcanned Chifley for not being left enough, and…
Reposted by Van Badham
I've found religion
Cat wandered in front of the camera during the #aurora long exposure
January 20, 2026 at 1:52 AM
I've found religion
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The number of observers on the ground here is basically increasing geometrically, because people see some of their neighbors being abducted and others fighting back and there is zero question about who is on the right side
Just tried to find a legal observer training and they are ALL full.
January 20, 2026 at 1:53 AM
The number of observers on the ground here is basically increasing geometrically, because people see some of their neighbors being abducted and others fighting back and there is zero question about who is on the right side
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hey did you know that twitter was never "the global town square?" it was never one of the biggest or coolest social media sites, it was just where journos and other wordcels and some celebs hung out so it became fodder for lazy news sites writing up stories based on some guy tweeting something
January 20, 2026 at 1:29 AM
hey did you know that twitter was never "the global town square?" it was never one of the biggest or coolest social media sites, it was just where journos and other wordcels and some celebs hung out so it became fodder for lazy news sites writing up stories based on some guy tweeting something
Reposted by Van Badham
Archbishop Broglio is, to put it extremely mildly, not generally viewed as one of the more liberal of the American bishops.
It’s come to this: “Catholic members of the US armed forces could in good conscience consider disobeying orders to attack Greenland if such orders were issued, according to Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the bishop responsible for the pastoral care of US military personnel.”
Military archbishop: Troops could refuse orders on Greenland
Speaking to Britain's Sunday program on BBC, Archbishop Timothy Broglio reiterated that conscience could permit refusal of an unjust military order.
aleteia.org
January 20, 2026 at 1:32 AM
Archbishop Broglio is, to put it extremely mildly, not generally viewed as one of the more liberal of the American bishops.
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This song is bleak as fuck but also a RIGHT BANGER of a tune
My new favourite anti-fascist anthem. Every single word is worth hearing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=stq2...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=stq2...
I Will Love You Until
YouTube video by So Good
www.youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:46 AM
This song is bleak as fuck but also a RIGHT BANGER of a tune
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When you Cannot Turn It Off
January 20, 2026 at 12:35 AM
When you Cannot Turn It Off
Reposted by Van Badham
Jessica: The WSJ is reporting that there are incentives for ICE Agents because they need to meet that insane 3,000 people per day quota—they are getting rewarded even if they bring in people who then get released…
January 20, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Jessica: The WSJ is reporting that there are incentives for ICE Agents because they need to meet that insane 3,000 people per day quota—they are getting rewarded even if they bring in people who then get released…
Reposted by Van Badham
I couldn’t help myself, so I checked that guy’s X account and saw this so now you all have to see it too
January 20, 2026 at 12:36 AM
I couldn’t help myself, so I checked that guy’s X account and saw this so now you all have to see it too
Reposted by Van Badham
Apropos of this, is Trump saying we will “run” Greenland, I.e. run its police & courts, appropriate money for its infrastructure, collect taxes from its people, who don’t want to live in American territory? Danger of hostility aside, who exactly is going to do this, when, and with what $$$?
I am begging people to just imagine for a second talking as if the lives of the people in Greenland are an important part of what is happening in Greenland.
We are watching one of the wildest things a nation-state has ever done: A superpower is committing suicide because the GOP Congress is too cowardly to stand up to the Mad King.
This is one of the wildest moments in all of geopolitics ever.
This is one of the wildest moments in all of geopolitics ever.
January 20, 2026 at 12:42 AM
Apropos of this, is Trump saying we will “run” Greenland, I.e. run its police & courts, appropriate money for its infrastructure, collect taxes from its people, who don’t want to live in American territory? Danger of hostility aside, who exactly is going to do this, when, and with what $$$?
Reposted by Van Badham
It's AI slop with a wrong flag and absurd tactics, but the prompt they gave the bot and the reason they posted this is that's 100% supposed to look like Greenland.
Now, I’m no military historian. However, I’m pretty sure that’s not a common Revolutionary war tactic (and that’s ignoring the one guy firing into the air).
January 20, 2026 at 12:48 AM
It's AI slop with a wrong flag and absurd tactics, but the prompt they gave the bot and the reason they posted this is that's 100% supposed to look like Greenland.
Reposted by Van Badham
if you think about it, in the movies, freddie krueger was always killed by cratering engagement. he died of cancellation. they don't want you to talk about that.
January 20, 2026 at 1:02 AM
if you think about it, in the movies, freddie krueger was always killed by cratering engagement. he died of cancellation. they don't want you to talk about that.
Reposted by Van Badham
At a movie. The MELANIA trailer inspired boos when it began and when it ended. (I may have booed first.)
January 20, 2026 at 1:10 AM
At a movie. The MELANIA trailer inspired boos when it began and when it ended. (I may have booed first.)
Reposted by Van Badham
Annual report shows funding boost for Victoria's CFA despite opposition claims of government cuts
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01... #springst #VicFires
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01... #springst #VicFires
Victoria's CFA funding reaches five-year high, despite cut claims
Government funding of Victoria's Country Fire Authority rose by more than $20 million last financial year according to the CFA's annual report.
www.abc.net.au
January 20, 2026 at 12:23 AM
Annual report shows funding boost for Victoria's CFA despite opposition claims of government cuts
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01... #springst #VicFires
www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01... #springst #VicFires
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FIFA earned the embarrassment. Awarding a peace prize to a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, accused pedophile and sex trafficker?
What were you thinking.
A morally bankrupt criminal in no way deserves a peace prize.
He deserves a lifetime sentence to hard time in jail.
What were you thinking.
A morally bankrupt criminal in no way deserves a peace prize.
He deserves a lifetime sentence to hard time in jail.
Growing sense of embarrassment at Fifa over Donald Trump peace prize
January 19, 2026 at 6:27 PM
FIFA earned the embarrassment. Awarding a peace prize to a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, accused pedophile and sex trafficker?
What were you thinking.
A morally bankrupt criminal in no way deserves a peace prize.
He deserves a lifetime sentence to hard time in jail.
What were you thinking.
A morally bankrupt criminal in no way deserves a peace prize.
He deserves a lifetime sentence to hard time in jail.
Reposted by Van Badham
Absolutely. Patriotic heroes.
Minnesota, your courage is contagious.
a man pointing to a sign that says believe
ALT: a man pointing to a sign that says believe
media.tenor.com
January 19, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Absolutely. Patriotic heroes.
John Ganz, we are not worthy
January 19, 2026 at 12:12 PM
John Ganz, we are not worthy
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Nuanced take: I think it's really important to give *normal citizens* who supported Trump and off-ramp and *professional writers, pundits and politicians* who supported Trump should have to wear it like a scarlet letter for the rest of their lives
This is aggravating, because on the one hand I think it's really important to give fascists an off-ramp and positive reinforcement when they use it...
...on the other hand, FUCK that guy, in particular.
...on the other hand, FUCK that guy, in particular.
January 18, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Nuanced take: I think it's really important to give *normal citizens* who supported Trump and off-ramp and *professional writers, pundits and politicians* who supported Trump should have to wear it like a scarlet letter for the rest of their lives
Reposted by Van Badham
Rabbit, Sweden, 15th century
January 19, 2026 at 12:05 PM
Rabbit, Sweden, 15th century
Reposted by Van Badham
Love you feisty Minnesotans
January 19, 2026 at 9:47 AM
Love you feisty Minnesotans
Reposted by Van Badham
Every time someone says "well, it's not an absurd idea," they're normalizing an absurd idea. We have everything we want from Greenland, and Trump isn't thinking about strategy, he's thinking about vanity and conquest.
From Phila. Inquirer this morning….“Fetterman and McCormick both rejected the idea, proposed by President Donald Trump, that the U.S. may use military force to acquire Greenland. It's also undeniable, that this is not a brand-new conversation, so it's not an absurd idea."
share.inquirer.com/zb5sfp
share.inquirer.com/zb5sfp
Asked about anti-ICE protests, McCormick says ‘dehumanizing language’ is leading to violence
Pennsylvania's two U.S. Senators discussed anti-ICE protests, Greenland, data centers, and other topics in a wide-ranging interview on CBS Evening News.
share.inquirer.com
January 18, 2026 at 5:45 PM
Every time someone says "well, it's not an absurd idea," they're normalizing an absurd idea. We have everything we want from Greenland, and Trump isn't thinking about strategy, he's thinking about vanity and conquest.
Reposted by Van Badham
No, Greenland is a crucial place in the defense of the Northern Hemisphere, which is why *it's already bound to us by the most powerful alliance in history*
It's absurd at multiple levels.
Greenland isn't much useful for America's national security interests. Standing upto China's insane Current Account fudging is, so is helping Ukraine.
America lags behind in processing and refinement of rare earth minerals, not extraction.
Innate stupidity ignorance
Greenland isn't much useful for America's national security interests. Standing upto China's insane Current Account fudging is, so is helping Ukraine.
America lags behind in processing and refinement of rare earth minerals, not extraction.
Innate stupidity ignorance
Every time someone says "well, it's not an absurd idea," they're normalizing an absurd idea. We have everything we want from Greenland, and Trump isn't thinking about strategy, he's thinking about vanity and conquest.
January 19, 2026 at 4:09 AM
No, Greenland is a crucial place in the defense of the Northern Hemisphere, which is why *it's already bound to us by the most powerful alliance in history*