Hal Duncan
@halduncan.com
Writer, editor, gardener--sometimes even in that order.
Queer. He/thon, but mainly just cause thon's a guid Scots pronoun fur aebdy, whitever thur gender.
Contact: hal AT halduncan DOT com
Queer. He/thon, but mainly just cause thon's a guid Scots pronoun fur aebdy, whitever thur gender.
Contact: hal AT halduncan DOT com
Pinned
Hal Duncan
@halduncan.com
· May 7
your intermittent reminder that the left/right axis is a spatial metaphor, not a reality, that the "centre" is not in fact a moderate middle ground but rather the *centre of power & privilege* protected by the vulgarly overt antisocialists operating on behalf of the polite paternalist antisocialists
Adolf and Eva in the bunker would be more like it
There is a completely unearned romanticism associated with Starmer and Reeves on the cover of this week's New Statesman. Difficult to imagine a couple less like Butch and Sundance.
November 28, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Adolf and Eva in the bunker would be more like it
Reposted by Hal Duncan
JK Rowling got a full *decade* of press as a martyr for being "cancelled" (declared passe by people online) and meanwhile nobody considers it very interesting that a prominent left wing author is basically banned from entering or publishing in the United Kingdom for her politics
so this is like, one of the biggest free speech infringements by a western democracy in our lifetimes right?
November 28, 2025 at 12:22 AM
JK Rowling got a full *decade* of press as a martyr for being "cancelled" (declared passe by people online) and meanwhile nobody considers it very interesting that a prominent left wing author is basically banned from entering or publishing in the United Kingdom for her politics
Reposted by Hal Duncan
Yes. And this is why analyses that focus singularly on greed as a motivation for oppression fall short. This will flush millions down the toilet and to them it's worth it to uphold and empire and protect zionism.
Added alt text and link to full article is in OP's next post.
Added alt text and link to full article is in OP's next post.
November 28, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Yes. And this is why analyses that focus singularly on greed as a motivation for oppression fall short. This will flush millions down the toilet and to them it's worth it to uphold and empire and protect zionism.
Added alt text and link to full article is in OP's next post.
Added alt text and link to full article is in OP's next post.
Reposted by Hal Duncan
I see exasperated Sensible Moderates complaining that this government has no project, no theory of what it’s doing and no good ideas. I suggest this is because we have for a very long time been hugely rewarding politicians whose key skill is telling *lobby journalists* what they wanted to hear.
November 27, 2025 at 11:52 PM
I see exasperated Sensible Moderates complaining that this government has no project, no theory of what it’s doing and no good ideas. I suggest this is because we have for a very long time been hugely rewarding politicians whose key skill is telling *lobby journalists* what they wanted to hear.
6 7 has an easy explanation, you know
Because 7 8 9
Because 7 8 9
Seen on Reddit:
"42 is just old people 6 7"
And... well... yeah. Can't really argue.
"42 is just old people 6 7"
And... well... yeah. Can't really argue.
November 27, 2025 at 9:43 PM
6 7 has an easy explanation, you know
Because 7 8 9
Because 7 8 9
who doesn't fancy a dandy highwayman though? he's dandy!
This is who 1980s people were lusting after apparently. From Smash Hits.
November 27, 2025 at 9:08 PM
who doesn't fancy a dandy highwayman though? he's dandy!
Reposted by Hal Duncan
The Left Bible
Zack Polanski nails the reality: the gap between a millionaire and a billionaire isn’t “a bit more money” - it’s a completely different universe.
This is why taxing extreme wealth matters. 👏
Zack Polanski nails the reality: the gap between a millionaire and a billionaire isn’t “a bit more money” - it’s a completely different universe.
This is why taxing extreme wealth matters. 👏
November 27, 2025 at 8:43 AM
The Left Bible
Zack Polanski nails the reality: the gap between a millionaire and a billionaire isn’t “a bit more money” - it’s a completely different universe.
This is why taxing extreme wealth matters. 👏
Zack Polanski nails the reality: the gap between a millionaire and a billionaire isn’t “a bit more money” - it’s a completely different universe.
This is why taxing extreme wealth matters. 👏
Reposted by Hal Duncan
From the Larchives. Wishing my American friends a Thanksgiving dinner that can't be beat! Maybe two!
November 27, 2025 at 4:40 PM
From the Larchives. Wishing my American friends a Thanksgiving dinner that can't be beat! Maybe two!
The Neoliberal Party would be more apt
November 27, 2025 at 7:25 PM
The Neoliberal Party would be more apt
Happy Alice's Restaurant Day to all who celebrate it
“And friends, they may think it's a movement” #nowplaying
Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant Massacree lyrics
YouTube video by lyrics4me
youtu.be
November 27, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Happy Alice's Restaurant Day to all who celebrate it
to put this in terms of bastion theory, the centrist occupying the *centre of power & privilege* recognises social justice as an out-group assault on their fratriarchal in-group control of the liberal bastion, an assault which it is the far right's entire purpose to halt, repel & drive into retreat
the core premise is female/queer coded liberalism/ social justice is at fault for provoking male-coded conservatism
the rising far right is a "backlash to woke" to use the vernacular
or 'what did you say to make him hit you' politics, as i call it
the rising far right is a "backlash to woke" to use the vernacular
or 'what did you say to make him hit you' politics, as i call it
November 27, 2025 at 3:34 PM
to put this in terms of bastion theory, the centrist occupying the *centre of power & privilege* recognises social justice as an out-group assault on their fratriarchal in-group control of the liberal bastion, an assault which it is the far right's entire purpose to halt, repel & drive into retreat
the remains of the first ork settlement
November 27, 2025 at 3:12 PM
the remains of the first ork settlement
Reposted by Hal Duncan
Is it "miles and miles of bugger all"?
November 27, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Is it "miles and miles of bugger all"?
Reposted by Hal Duncan
The Nuzzi thing is a good reminder that outside the deep structural issues of energy/subsistence, most of what's happening right now is an old-fashioned crisis of elite legitimacy, which sounds comforting until you realize how some of those have turned out in the past
November 26, 2025 at 11:32 PM
The Nuzzi thing is a good reminder that outside the deep structural issues of energy/subsistence, most of what's happening right now is an old-fashioned crisis of elite legitimacy, which sounds comforting until you realize how some of those have turned out in the past
Reposted by Hal Duncan
To be clear Lizza’s story is that Nuzzi sat on important matters of national significance for personal benefit and he’s sat on these details until he could personally benefit.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
November 26, 2025 at 10:17 PM
To be clear Lizza’s story is that Nuzzi sat on important matters of national significance for personal benefit and he’s sat on these details until he could personally benefit.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
All of DC media needs to be thrown into the sea. Anyone who defends these people is a goddamn clown.
Reposted by Hal Duncan
Okay so what I’m reading here, if this account is to be believed, is that Lizza and Nuzzi are complicit in withholding major dark political actions that have had insane implications for like, everybody. Journalistic malpractice doesn’t even begin to cover it
While there are often some ethical issues with making free PDFs of paywalled content, in this case it seems entirely justifiable, given the author, the subject, and the journalistic imperative to provide the widest possible audience for the verb "Michael Wolffed"
gofile.io/d/Ap4v35
gofile.io/d/Ap4v35
November 26, 2025 at 11:19 PM
Okay so what I’m reading here, if this account is to be believed, is that Lizza and Nuzzi are complicit in withholding major dark political actions that have had insane implications for like, everybody. Journalistic malpractice doesn’t even begin to cover it
Reposted by Hal Duncan
If this is true she should never work as a journalist again.
Hey, congratulations to all of Olivia Nuzzi’s horny media critic defenders. Heckuva job!
November 26, 2025 at 10:43 PM
If this is true she should never work as a journalist again.
Reposted by Hal Duncan
What happens when one no longer desires even desire? What is it not even want wanting?
November 26, 2025 at 10:48 PM
What happens when one no longer desires even desire? What is it not even want wanting?
there is scope, it occurs to me, for a study of the resurgence of fascism in the shitlord culture of 4Chan and GamerGate and toxic geekdom in general titled THE TURD REICH, I gift this title freely to anyone with the nous to write on that aspect of it all
Cover Reveal!
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
“The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy" arrives on August 4, 2026.
How extremist tech billionaires are dismantling democracy to crown themselves as kings—and what we can do about it.
Please pre-order! ➡️ www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...
November 26, 2025 at 8:58 PM
there is scope, it occurs to me, for a study of the resurgence of fascism in the shitlord culture of 4Chan and GamerGate and toxic geekdom in general titled THE TURD REICH, I gift this title freely to anyone with the nous to write on that aspect of it all
Reposted by Hal Duncan
Floating boats is MUCH more gay!
I got kicked in elementary school at one point for looking at my fingernails in a “gay” way.
I was told at one point it was queer to say “to each, their own” rather than “whatever floats your boat, dude”.
Those 2 things made me aware that gender norms are l made up & policed by the insecure.
I was told at one point it was queer to say “to each, their own” rather than “whatever floats your boat, dude”.
Those 2 things made me aware that gender norms are l made up & policed by the insecure.
November 26, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Floating boats is MUCH more gay!
Reposted by Hal Duncan
Site in Kenya reveals 300,000 years of uninterrupted toolmaking. Archaeologists uncovered nearly 1,300 stone tools spanning 2.44 to 2.75 million years, showing that early hominins taught and replicated the same techniques across roughly 10,000 generations. buff.ly/zQvktxJ
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Advanced 2.5 Million-Year-Old Tools May Rewrite Human History
Early humans crafted the same tools for hundreds of thousands of years, offering an unprecedented glimpse of a continuous tradition that may push back the origins of technology.
buff.ly
November 26, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Site in Kenya reveals 300,000 years of uninterrupted toolmaking. Archaeologists uncovered nearly 1,300 stone tools spanning 2.44 to 2.75 million years, showing that early hominins taught and replicated the same techniques across roughly 10,000 generations. buff.ly/zQvktxJ
#ShareGoodNewsToo
#ShareGoodNewsToo
Reposted by Hal Duncan
When the NEA asked us to promise not to publish trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid authors, we told them to kick rocks. (Actually, formally, with a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, we told them to kick rocks.) So the NEA rescinded our funding.
November 26, 2025 at 8:04 PM
When the NEA asked us to promise not to publish trans, nonbinary, or gender fluid authors, we told them to kick rocks. (Actually, formally, with a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, we told them to kick rocks.) So the NEA rescinded our funding.
Reposted by Hal Duncan
If competent people can do something and they don't do it, it's because they don't want to. That's why wrestlers usually walk away from bouts in one piece, and why you should assume politics is wrestling until you have good reason to believe otherwise.
brazil and france sent criminal former leaders to prison while merrick garland spent nights fretting if every t was crossed and didnt get the job done
November 26, 2025 at 2:54 PM
If competent people can do something and they don't do it, it's because they don't want to. That's why wrestlers usually walk away from bouts in one piece, and why you should assume politics is wrestling until you have good reason to believe otherwise.
I always assume I'm getting a wildly unrealistic image of Thai culture from the BL shows when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance because duh, that's just the genre, but holy fuck, on *that* metric at least they're head & shoulders ahead of *everyone*
the Ipsos Pride survey is genuinely an awesome product, but jesus the difference in the UK/US on trans issues is nuts
November 26, 2025 at 4:41 AM
I always assume I'm getting a wildly unrealistic image of Thai culture from the BL shows when it comes to LGBTQ+ acceptance because duh, that's just the genre, but holy fuck, on *that* metric at least they're head & shoulders ahead of *everyone*