Josiah Sutton
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josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Josiah Sutton
@josiahwsutton.bsky.social
970 followers 450 following 1.2K posts
Episcopalian socialist and remedial cinephile living in a Grant Wood painting. Musician, writer, bartender. Creator of @fruitlessmedia.bsky.social, He/Him
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josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Been re-reading Paxton's The Anatomy of Fascism for the podcast, and it really is stunning the degree to which his descriptions match the current moment.
Fascist violence was neither random nor indiscriminate. It carried a well-calculated set of coded messages: that communist violence was rising, that the democratic state was responding to it ineptly, and that only the fascists were tough enough to save the nation from antinational terrorists. An essential step in the fascist march to acceptance and power was to persuade law-and-order conservatives and members of the middle class to tolerate fascist violence as a harsh necessity in the face of Left provocation.84 It helped, of course, that many ordinary citizens never feared fascist violence against themselves, because they were reassured that it was reserved for national enemies and “terrorists" who deserved it.85Fascists encouraged a distinction between members of the nation who merited protection and outsiders who deserved rough handling. One of the most sensational cases of Nazi violence before power was the murder of a communist laborer of Polish descent in the town of Potempa, in Silesia, by five SA men in August 1932. It became sensational when the killers’ death sentences were commuted, under Nazi pressure, to life imprisonment. Party theorist Alfred Rosenberg took the occasion to underscore the difference... ...between “bourgeois justice," according to which “one Polish Communist has the same weighting as five Germans, front-soldiers," and National Socialist ideology, according to which “one soul does not equal another soul, one person not another." Indeed, Rosenberg went on, for National Socialism, “there is no ‘law as such.’ "86 The legitimation of violence against a demonized internal enemy brings us close to the heart of fascism.For some, fascist violence was more than useful: it was beautiful. Some war veterans and intellectuals (Marinetti and Ernst Jünger were both) indulged in the aesthetics of violence. Violence often appealed to men too young to have known it in 1914–18 and who felt cheated of their war. It appealed to some women, too.87 But it is a mistake to regard fascist success as solely the triumph of the D’Annunzian hero. It was the genius of fascism to wager that many an orderly bourgeois (or even bourgeoise) would take some vicarious satisfaction in a carefully selective violence, directed only against “terrorists" and “enemies of the people.
February 3, 2026 at 5:10 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Fucking brutal lmfao
Screenshot from Chotiner interview. Chotiner: What do you think “Melania” accomplishes? Why do you think it’s an important movie? Spinotti: You’ll have to answer that question yourself. My interest in the project was to shoot, to see the location, to meet these people, to work with Brett. I couldn’t give you an answer like that. You should probably ask people who know marketing better. Chotiner: I didn’t mean in terms of marketing. I meant artistically. Spinotti: I think it’s a movie that is very well executed. The music is splendid, and it was shot in a very interesting way. It was treated very carefully, finished with great precision and accuracy. But I don’t know. I wouldn’t know how to judge that film. Chotiner: “Triumph of the Will” is very controversial, but you can’t deny that as a piece of filmmaking it is a very impressive achievement. You can like something without agreeing with its politics. Spinotti: Yes, probably so. I might’ve liked if the film could have been a little more about her activities and achievements, which are described in the end titles. But, also, our operation was limited to twenty days, and to two or three days after Donald went into the White House. Maybe it would’ve been more interesting if it was really about what she’s done as First Lady. Chotiner: Are you going to do “Heat 2”?
February 2, 2026 at 9:19 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
This is good
Screenshot from article in quoted post. This is the sort of unease that should be cast over ICE. The goal shouldn’t be simply to undo the agency in 2029, but to undermine it right now. Democratic leadership should make promises about what it will do the next time the party holds power. It should include robust federal inquiries into ICE’s conduct at every level, including both civil rights and criminal investigations. It should include placing every single existing agent on a permanent no-hire list to ensure that the cultural issues do not simply transfer over to whatever entity replaces ICE. This isn’t an exhaustive list. But the goal must be demoralization. It needs to be made clear to every ICE agent that, should they remain with ICE, they will soon be unemployed and potentially under investigation.
January 30, 2026 at 12:17 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
At work now. What seem to have happened is Trump waited an extra hour or so to take the stage since the protest was organized from 2-4 with Trump originally scheduled to take stage at 3.
January 27, 2026 at 11:25 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Maybe ICE? Couldn’t tell if just state patrol
January 27, 2026 at 10:05 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Funny Iowa specific detail to protest is that it’s located right next to a Casey’s—a gas station with pizza and hot food. Instead of closing, they staffed up and are having a great business day lmfao
January 27, 2026 at 9:50 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Might be snipers
January 27, 2026 at 9:02 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Someone monitoring us from rooftop
January 27, 2026 at 9:00 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
January 27, 2026 at 8:36 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
WHO 13 News. Iowa News: Trump to deliver speech on energy and economy in Iowa next week. Trevor Moore in the Whitest Kids U’Know sketch entitled "It’s illegal to say"
January 22, 2026 at 6:45 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Jump scare
Screenshot of Letterboxd year summary. Most watched actor, Kevin Smith, most watched director, also Kevin Smith
January 2, 2026 at 6:47 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
My very sweet girlfriend got me the new @willsloanesq.bsky.social book. Great way to start off the holiday
December 25, 2025 at 2:12 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Just saying
Screenshot from Wikipedia: the story of a drummer at the manger is not from the Bible
December 20, 2025 at 10:35 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Search your camera roll for "Hell"
Fire and flames everywhere. A street sign with an arrow point to the left reads "Hell". A man’s face screaming lingers, transparent, above it all. It looks goofy.
December 18, 2025 at 4:53 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
So glad I tuned in
Screenshot of AP live report. 17 mins ago. Less of an address and more of a rant By Michelle Price The president barely paused to take a breath as he made his way through his prepared remarks, much of which contained complaints about conditions in the country under former President Joe Biden.
December 18, 2025 at 2:39 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
What a weird year
Letterboxd screenshot of my most watched directors of this year. 1. Kevin Smith, 11 films 2. Jon Bois, 7 films 3. Harmony Korine, 7 films 4. François Truffaut, 4 films
December 16, 2025 at 5:34 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
lol. lmao
screenshot of a facebook post from Washington Post Opinions Letters to the editor: As a conservative, I'm beginning to wonder: Are we the bad guys?" [link] "Are these new conservatives in fact our descendants? Were we always secretly like this but were pretending we weren’t? I’m hoping these new conservatives are mutants, but I’m not so sure about that anymore.”
December 13, 2025 at 6:29 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
just
Screenshots of plays during Vikings @ Seahawks. Vikings have punted 3 times, Seahawks twice.
November 30, 2025 at 9:43 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
I think it’s very winnable actually
Screenshot of Pew Research study on sentiments about AI. AI experts more likely than the public to say AI will have a positive effect on the U.S. over next 20 years.
November 30, 2025 at 9:01 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
HELLO EVERYONE! I will be co-hosting a horror movie trivia event over Zoom as a part of @iowacci's year end fundraiser. The event will be held over zoom and is open to anyone who makes a small donation. Join us on Tuesday, December 2!
poster: HORROR MOVIE TRIVIA. Join us as we kick off CCI Action's year end fundraiser with a horror movie trivia night! When: Tuesday, December 2, 6-8PM. Where: Zoom--use QR code below for link or go to cciaction.org/movietrivia. Suggested $10 donation per person.
November 30, 2025 at 6:33 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Average Bay Area Liberal:
November 19, 2025 at 9:51 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Weary wojack
November 9, 2025 at 4:15 AM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
These two own a private jet with "When Pigs Fly" written on the tail that sits in the Des Moines airport. Do you understand how degrading this is?
Picture of Deb and Jeff Hansen, owners of Iowa Select Farms.
November 8, 2025 at 7:54 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
These are the oligarchs running this state. These are our barons, our landed gentry, our ruling class. Do you understand how humiliating it is to live in Iowa?
Screenshot of a tweet from Chuck Grassley: Met with lowa Pork Producers to discuss Prop 12 farm bill and the Schumer Shutdown Attached is a picture of Chuck Grassley awkwardly standing with his arms by his side, Joni Ernst, an three pork industry ghouls.
November 8, 2025 at 7:54 PM
josiahwsutton.bsky.social
Some justice in the world
Headline: Man who threw sandwich at federal agent in Washington is found not guilty of assault charge
November 6, 2025 at 7:44 PM