@pgmookster.bsky.social
Reposted
Reposted
This is also a field test.
If the press lets them muddy the waters on executing a woman in Minneapolis despite multiple witnesses and video recordings clearly depicting what happened, the message they'll take away is that there's nothing they can't get away with.
Nothing.
If the press lets them muddy the waters on executing a woman in Minneapolis despite multiple witnesses and video recordings clearly depicting what happened, the message they'll take away is that there's nothing they can't get away with.
Nothing.
January 8, 2026 at 11:47 AM
This is also a field test.
If the press lets them muddy the waters on executing a woman in Minneapolis despite multiple witnesses and video recordings clearly depicting what happened, the message they'll take away is that there's nothing they can't get away with.
Nothing.
If the press lets them muddy the waters on executing a woman in Minneapolis despite multiple witnesses and video recordings clearly depicting what happened, the message they'll take away is that there's nothing they can't get away with.
Nothing.
Reposted
Musk is laughing at us. There is *nothing* that’s decent or free or safe about being on X.
The only responsible ‘counter narrative’ to stem the profound damage X is doing to society and democracy is to leave it, or - better still - to shut it down.
(Private Eye)
The only responsible ‘counter narrative’ to stem the profound damage X is doing to society and democracy is to leave it, or - better still - to shut it down.
(Private Eye)
January 8, 2026 at 8:09 AM
Musk is laughing at us. There is *nothing* that’s decent or free or safe about being on X.
The only responsible ‘counter narrative’ to stem the profound damage X is doing to society and democracy is to leave it, or - better still - to shut it down.
(Private Eye)
The only responsible ‘counter narrative’ to stem the profound damage X is doing to society and democracy is to leave it, or - better still - to shut it down.
(Private Eye)
Reposted
Reposted
Populist bullshitter Alexandra Phillips is on BBC2 Politics Live. Why? Because privately funded populist channel 'Talk' pays her to present on there, and the BBC feels duty-bound to represent all opinion... and thereby make it mainstream.
This is how it works.
This is how it works.
January 6, 2026 at 12:30 PM
Populist bullshitter Alexandra Phillips is on BBC2 Politics Live. Why? Because privately funded populist channel 'Talk' pays her to present on there, and the BBC feels duty-bound to represent all opinion... and thereby make it mainstream.
This is how it works.
This is how it works.
Reposted
Reposted
How to recognise fascism when you see it, by the the Italian humanist and author Umberto Eco. This 14-point guide is taken from Eco's 1995 essay 'Ur-Fascism' – informed by his own experiences of Nazism in the 20th century. He was born #OnThisDay 1932.
January 5, 2026 at 10:45 AM
How to recognise fascism when you see it, by the the Italian humanist and author Umberto Eco. This 14-point guide is taken from Eco's 1995 essay 'Ur-Fascism' – informed by his own experiences of Nazism in the 20th century. He was born #OnThisDay 1932.
Reposted
Reposted
Today's story about the Trump administration sanctioning European anti-disinformation campaigners and politicians emphasises what I argue here. They're out to get us. open.substack.com/pub/davidaar...
The Plot Against Europe
Because this time they really are out to get us
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Today's story about the Trump administration sanctioning European anti-disinformation campaigners and politicians emphasises what I argue here. They're out to get us. open.substack.com/pub/davidaar...
Reposted
History will record how a non-trivial number of supposedly liberal centrists went along - wittingly or unwittingly - with the transparently McCarthyite scam of the cancel culture/free speech moral panic And in doing so helped pave the way for neo-fascism.
The people who profited most from the cancel culture/free speech panic were less interested in actual freedom of speech than establishing their own control over public discourse. You don't even have to take my word for it. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
December 24, 2025 at 8:09 AM
History will record how a non-trivial number of supposedly liberal centrists went along - wittingly or unwittingly - with the transparently McCarthyite scam of the cancel culture/free speech moral panic And in doing so helped pave the way for neo-fascism.
Reposted
Harsh but fair. (Source: www.ft.com/content/11a8...)
December 24, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Harsh but fair. (Source: www.ft.com/content/11a8...)
Reposted
So the US administration considers hate speech and disinformation “American viewpoints“? 🙄
HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats.
Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.
HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats.
Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.
“Imran Ahmed, chief executive of Centre for Countering Digital Hate; Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg, leaders of HateAid, a German organization; former EU Commissioner Thierry Breton, who was responsible for digital affairs; and Clare Melford, who runs the Global Disinformation Index.”
US bars five Europeans it says pressured tech firms to censor American viewpoints online
The State Department is barring five Europeans it accuses of leading efforts to pressure U.S. tech firms to censor or suppress American viewpoints.
apnews.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:59 AM
So the US administration considers hate speech and disinformation “American viewpoints“? 🙄
HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats.
Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.
HateAid is an organization that also helps climate scientists to defend themselves against online abuse and threats.
Its founder was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 🇩🇪 this year.
Reposted
This US administration is now completely losing any semblance of sanity in sanctioning "censorship masterminds". There's no other way to put it, this is tin pot dictatorship territory and must be called out as such. Including in the US.
Definite upsurge in Trump administration attacks on the EU / Europe in the last week, and I think of it rather as a cross between a toddler tantrum and an arsonist where the key fact is the project to reshape the world and even the US is failing.
December 24, 2025 at 7:23 AM
This US administration is now completely losing any semblance of sanity in sanctioning "censorship masterminds". There's no other way to put it, this is tin pot dictatorship territory and must be called out as such. Including in the US.
Reposted
There is a serious financial crunch facing universities – with alarm that if overseas student enrolments in January are lower than expected (and they have been for a few years now), bankruptcy is a very real prospect.
Lords minister Jacqui Smith gave evidence to parliament and suggested universities could simply continue to teach students if they were insolvent – something widely believed to be illegal
✏️ @jamesrball.com
✏️ @jamesrball.com
Is 2026 the year that Britain’s universities go bankrupt?
Immigration crackdowns are cutting revenues from overseas students - and now some institutions are on the brink
www.thenewworld.co.uk
December 22, 2025 at 11:23 AM
There is a serious financial crunch facing universities – with alarm that if overseas student enrolments in January are lower than expected (and they have been for a few years now), bankruptcy is a very real prospect.
Reposted
NSF is about to dismantle NCAR at Russell Vought's direction to protect the fossil fuel industry. It's hard to communicate just how much NCAR does, so let's take a look: I've never worked at NCAR, and I've worked with NCAR researchers once ever. What scientific discoveries has NCAR made possible? 👇
December 17, 2025 at 4:14 AM
NSF is about to dismantle NCAR at Russell Vought's direction to protect the fossil fuel industry. It's hard to communicate just how much NCAR does, so let's take a look: I've never worked at NCAR, and I've worked with NCAR researchers once ever. What scientific discoveries has NCAR made possible? 👇
Reposted
Most discussions about “misinformation” treat the problem as if people simply don’t have good enough critical-thinking skills. It sounds intuitive, but it’s not entirely accurate. The problem isn’t just individual ignorance, it’s the structure of the information environment people are placed into.
Finland has emerged as a global leader in countering “fake news”. Here's how they've done it
Teaching when to trust
As fake news accelerates, we need to teach our children how to think critically. Finnish schools are leading the charge
newhumanist.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Most discussions about “misinformation” treat the problem as if people simply don’t have good enough critical-thinking skills. It sounds intuitive, but it’s not entirely accurate. The problem isn’t just individual ignorance, it’s the structure of the information environment people are placed into.
Reposted
“The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda.
It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
- Garry Kasparov
It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
- Garry Kasparov
December 6, 2025 at 4:20 PM
“The point of modern propaganda isn't only to misinform or push an agenda.
It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
- Garry Kasparov
It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”
- Garry Kasparov
Reposted
Perennial reminder that the Republicans claimed Democrats were engaging in “censorship” and threatening free speech on campus…
December 2, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Perennial reminder that the Republicans claimed Democrats were engaging in “censorship” and threatening free speech on campus…
Reposted
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951), p. 333
December 2, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism (1951), p. 333
Reposted
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
It's estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP this financial year.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️ buff.ly/s5mz97u
It's estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP this financial year.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️ buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 28, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
It's estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP this financial year.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️ buff.ly/s5mz97u
It's estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP this financial year.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️ buff.ly/s5mz97u
Reposted
We rely on migration for the economy and several industries, decrease that and the economy is worse. A worsening economy means worse conditions. Unhappy public looks for someone to blame. Politicians tell them it's migrants. And so we end up in a never ending loop while everything gets worse.
November 27, 2025 at 10:57 AM
We rely on migration for the economy and several industries, decrease that and the economy is worse. A worsening economy means worse conditions. Unhappy public looks for someone to blame. Politicians tell them it's migrants. And so we end up in a never ending loop while everything gets worse.
Reposted
This does feel like a major crossing of the Rubicon – the world's best-funded and in many ways most powerful public health agency is now actively pushing disinformation.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
The CDC website now disseminates disinformation about vaccines, claiming erroneously that infant vaccines might cause autism, when we know conclusively that they do not. It is difficult to overstate just how dangerous this is. www.cdc.gov/vaccine-safe...
November 20, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This does feel like a major crossing of the Rubicon – the world's best-funded and in many ways most powerful public health agency is now actively pushing disinformation.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
I know there's a *lot* going on to care about at the moment, but this one really is significant, and matters well beyond the US.
Reposted
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
November 19, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Bellingcat’s contact email has always been a magnet for people with fairly unusual views; paranoid delusions, sprawling conspiracies, the works. But recently, the pattern has shifted, we’re seeing more and more emails clearly written with ChatGPT.
Reposted
Meta is using your Whatsapp messages and Facebook & Instagram DMs to train its generative AI. If you want to object, you can do so here www.facebook.com/privacy/genai
How Meta uses information for generative AI models
Learn how Meta uses information for generative artificial intelligence, generative AI models.
www.facebook.com
November 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Meta is using your Whatsapp messages and Facebook & Instagram DMs to train its generative AI. If you want to object, you can do so here www.facebook.com/privacy/genai