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Reposted by Aaron Y. Zelin

John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 8h

Reading a lot recently on the intersections of gaming, violent extremism, extreme violence, and politics. Still so much we don't know about even the most elementary processes and functions. This is of the better books I've come across so far. Great starting point for anyone wanting to learn more.

Cover of the book Gaming Democracy, by Adrienne Massanari.

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 12h

This, but also they've gotten a lot of people not to care whether the premises are true. There's a sizable contingent that just wants to hurt the libs and recognizes that only libs are going to argue about the truth of the pretext.

Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · Aug 1

Basically all my posts recently could be part of the same thread:

The problem of our time is governments—particularly the Trump administration, also the Netanyahu administration, etc—making policy based on factual premises that are not true, which they've gotten "many people" to believe are true.

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 12h

You know who else documented their crimes extensively and eventually had that documentation used against them

The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 12h

Sickening.

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coridauber.bsky.social @coridauber.bsky.social · 15h

www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/...

The Civil-Military Crisis Is Here

The leaders of the U.S. military may soon face a terrible decision.

www.theatlantic.com

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Phil Gurski @borealissaves.bsky.social · 1d

The Economist identified over a dozen writers on Substack employed by China’s state media with over 50,000 subscribers on the popular American online-blogging platform. If anyone thinks these are 'independent' and not just PRC propagandists they aren't very smart www.economist.com/china/2025/1...

Xi Jinping wants a spot in your inbox

Policymakers hope to shape the thinking of Western elites in new ways

www.economist.com

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 1d

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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi.bsky.social · 1d

First academic journal review of my translation & study of the medieval text Fath al-Andalus(The Conquest of al-Andalus) is out,& it's mostly positive,particularly about how it presents a clear & readable translation from a difficult original www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The Conquest of al-Andalus. A Translation of Fatḥ al-Andalus (Routledge Medieval Translations)

Published in Al-Masāq: Journal of the Medieval Mediterranean (Ahead of Print, 2025)

www.tandfonline.com

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Assaf Moghadam @assafmoghadam.bsky.social · 1d

On the occasion of the 2nd anniversary of the Oct 7 attacks, Don Rassler and I interviewed Zohar Palti, former head of the Intelligence Directorate of the Israeli Mossad, for the October issue of the CTC Sentinel. Fascinating and insightful.

ctc.westpoint.edu/a-view-from-...

A View from the CT Foxhole: Zohar Palti, Former Director, Policy & Political-Military Bureau, Israel’s Ministry of Defense - Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Zohar Palti is the Andrew Viterbi Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy in Washington, D.C.; Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University; and a con...

ctc.westpoint.edu

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Seamus Hughes @seamushughes.bsky.social · 2d

Lots of performative posts on this site. Meanwhile we grind every week for the last 3 years to tell stories in the US courts that no one else does. Decide to do more than performative posts, put your resources towards a news site that has a track record of impact.

www.CourtWatch.news/upgrade

Court Watch @courtwatch.bsky.social · 2d

You: I don’t want to pay for another newsletter.

Us: we offer no hot take opinions, we’re just singlehandedly forcing the courts to operate transparently, maybe throw in 8 bucks a month my guy.

www.CourtWatch.news/upgrade

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John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 2d

The meme-ification of political violence

Very thoughtful discussion here

www.msnbc.com/msnbc/news/m...

The meme-ification of political violence

It's less ideology than the internet — what the media and Trump don't understand about the current wave of shootings.

www.msnbc.com

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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi.bsky.social · 2d

My latest: my visit to the Najaf office of the Badr Organisation (one of Iraq's major pro-Iranian factions), discussing the group's outlook on Iraq and the wider region, including the question of relations with the new Syrian government www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/a-visit-to...

A Visit to the Badr Organisation's Najaf Branch

Iraq is gearing up for parliamentary elections next month, and among the parties that primarily gain votes from the country’s Twelver Shia community, the Badr Organisation is undoubtedly one of the mo...

www.aymennaltamimi.com

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 4d

They are experiencing friction at times, but they keep consistently moving the ball down the field. Which is why I am not especially reassured by the Greek chorus of "he can't do that" every time he announces what he is going to do.

This isn't dooming. Resistance requires a realistic assessment.

The People's Fabric @peoplesfabric.com · 4d

Raiding an entire building and grabbing everyone out of bed late at night is a pretty big escalation. What impact did such an egregious act have on their operations? None, apparently. Some more national attention. But nothing that will deter them from doing it again.

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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi @ajaltamimi.bsky.social · 4d

New interview with Quwat Fursan Hamza, one of the constituent factions of the Druze 'National Guard' initiative backed by Hikmat al-Hijri. It has recently rebranded as 'Battalion 501- Special Assignments' of the National Guard www.aymennaltamimi.com/p/druze-fact...

Druze Factions in al-Suwayda' after the National Guard Merger: Interview with a Constituent Group

Since late August, virtually all Druze armed factions in the southern Syrian province of al-Suwayda’ have merged into the ‘National Guard’ initiative that is endorsed by Hikmat al-Hijri (one of the th...

www.aymennaltamimi.com

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coridauber.bsky.social @coridauber.bsky.social · 4d

Tom Nichols: All The Circuit Breakers Are Gone
www.thebulwark.com/p/tom-nichol...

Tom Nichols: All The Circuit Breakers Are Gone

President Trump’s loyalty purges continue.

www.thebulwark.com

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 4d

These numbers are abysmal for a consumer product, especially one that is devouring our economy and destroying the environment and being force-fed to everyone

Mediagazer @mediagazer.com · 4d

About 25% of US adults say they use AI chatbots like ChatGPT for news, and 33% of them say they generally find it difficult to tell what is true and what is not (Pew Research Center)

Main Link | Mediagazer Permalink

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John Horgan @johnhorgan.bsky.social · 4d

escaping reality for a while

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coridauber.bsky.social @coridauber.bsky.social · 4d

Trump & Hegseth Preach Insanity to The General Officers
www.thebulwark.com/p/trump-and-...

Trump & Hegseth Preach Insanity to The General Officers

On a special edition of Shield of the Republic, Eric and Eliot break down Secretary of Defense Hegseth and President Donald Trump’s speeches to the General Officer Corps at Quantico this week.

www.thebulwark.com

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 5d

This is insane

Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 5d

The messages show high-level officials in the Trump administration discussing the possible deployment of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, an infantry force that has dropped into combat zones in both World Wars, Vietnam and Afghanistan.

Trump officials discussed sending elite Army division to Portland, text messages show

A high-ranking White House official was indiscreetly texting about the Portland, Ore., planning last weekend, according to messages shared with the Minnesota Star Tribune.

bit.ly

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 5d

I remember when one (theoretically) had to break a quaint thing called a "law" before arrested and sent to prison

Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · 5d

Here is the link to the 1989 SCOTUS decision ruling that flag burning is protected by the first amendment. It was a huge deal back then. I genuinely wonder what John Roberts thinks of Trump posts like this. supreme.justia.com/cases/federa...

Donald J. Trump
@realDonald Trump
To ICE, Border Patrol, Law Enforcement, and all U.S.
Military: As per my August 25, 2025 Executive Order, please be advised that, from this point forward, anybody burning the American Flag will be subject to one year in prison. You will be immediately arrested. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
2.35k ReTruths 8.16k Likes
10/3/25, 7:26 PM

Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S.
397 (1989)
Overview Opinions Materials
Syllabus
U.S. Supreme Court
Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989)
Texas v. Johnson
No. 88-155
Argued March 21, 1989
Decided June 21, 1989
491 U.S. 397

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 5d

Talk about devaluing the dollar

Mike Walker @newnarrative.bsky.social · 5d

US treasury considers special $1 Trump coin reading ‘fight, fight, fight’

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

US treasury considers special $1 Trump coin reading ‘fight, fight, fight’

US treasurer says officials looking at drafts for country’s 250th anniversary featuring president with raised fist

www.theguardian.com

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 5d

Peacemaker unexpectedly taking the lead for the most emotionally devastating show of 2025

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 5d

Bringing lethality to every part of government, from DoD to the FBI to HHS

Sam @samd.bsky.social · 5d

reddit occupied government

Ken Dilanian
@DilanianMSNBC
Follow
The challenge coins being handed out by @FBIDirectorKash. Seems someone put a lot of thought into this.

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J.M. Berger @jmberger.com · 6d

1. Whip up moral panic claiming immigrants are drug-dealing cartel members

2. Stop enforcing laws against cartels

3. Blame immigrants for increased drug-dealing

Reuters @reuters.com · 6d

The Justice Department eliminated 275 positions and shuttered its Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces. The restructuring affects 140 federal employees through elimination or reassignment, marking the largest DOJ reorganization in two decades reut.rs/4nxYuUg