Author | Lightnews

Ivo Vegter

@ivovegter.bsky.social

770 followers 1.3K following 490 posts

South African. Columnist at The Daily Friend (http://dailyfriend.co.za/author/ivo/). I advocate classical liberalism, free markets, science and reason. I oppose authoritarianism, socialism, nationalism, and prejudice.

dailyfriend.co.za

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 1)
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/21/w...
(My latest column. Supporters of Donald Trump are quick to disavow the label “fascist”, which really is no surprise. It is damning, and is often used gratuitously.)

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 1) - Daily Friend

Supporters of Donald Trump are quick to disavow the label “fascist”, which really is no surprise. It is damning, and is often used gratuitously.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4h

Not in our name: Afrikaners respond to the misuse of their story in US politics
www.news24.com/opinions/col...
(Well said.)

Not in our name: Afrikaners respond to the misuse of their story in US politics | News24

Afrikaners speak out against the political misuse of their identity in the USA – a topic currently gaining prominence with reports in the New York Times, Washington Post, and locally.

www.news24.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 13h

Trump Dares Congress To Take Its War Powers Seriously in Venezuela |
The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.
reason.com/2025/10/24/t...

Trump dares Congress to take its war powers seriously in Venezuela

The president bet that no one would stop him from land attacks in Venezuela. And Congress hasn’t given him any reason to think otherwise.

reason.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 1d

World-changing tech that didn't:

Maglev: techcentral.co.za/maglev-train...
Blockchain: techcentral.co.za/the-great-bl...
Segway: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
CCS: techcentral.co.za/the-colossal...
3D TV: techcentral.co.za/how-3d-wowed...
Smart glasses: techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...

The train that never came - how maglev technology was derailed

This is the first in a series of articles about amazing technologies that promised to change the world but which did no such thing.

techcentral.co.za

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 2d

The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects |
Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.
www.niemanlab.org/2025/10/the-...
(Troubling. The IA is such an important project.)

The Wayback Machine’s snapshots of news homepages plummet after a “breakdown” in archiving projects

Between May and October 2025, homepage snapshots fell by 87% across 100 news publications.

www.niemanlab.org

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

Correction:
Carbon capture link is techcentral.co.za/the-colossal...

The colossal carbon capture con

Carbon-capture schemes are costly scams that overpromise yet barely reduce global emissions, writes Ivo Vegter.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

World-changing tech that didn't:

Maglev: techcentral.co.za/maglev-train...
Blockchain: techcentral.co.za/the-great-bl...
Segway: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
CCS: techcentral.co.za/most-overhyp...
3D TV: techcentral.co.za/how-3d-wowed...
Smart glasses: techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 4d

What is fascism, and is Trump’s America it? (Part 1) - Daily Friend

Supporters of Donald Trump are quick to disavow the label “fascist”, which really is no surprise. It is damning, and is often used gratuitously.

dailyfriend.co.za

Reposted by Ivo Vegter

TechCentral @techcentral.co.za · 5d

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in, writes @ivovegter.bsky.social

Why smart glasses keep failing - it's not the tech

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 5d

Why smart glasses keep failing – it’s not the tech
techcentral.co.za/why-smart-gl...
{The latest in my series on technology that was supposed to change the world, but didn't.)

Why smart glasses keep failing - it's not the tech

Smart glasses with augmented reality displays and computer vision sound very useful, but the creep factor is doing them in.

techcentral.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 7d

30 pages of Lolita Express passenger manifests surface, with many names redacted. Why, I wonder? What did those people do to merit protection that Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Reid Hoffman, Jimmy Cayne, Brian Higgins or John Phelan didn't?
www.foxnews.com/us/epstein-d...

Epstein flight manifests revealed as House committee releases docs, transcript with former US attorney

The House Oversight Committee released more documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein on Friday afternoon. The committee released an interview with former US attorney Alex Acosta as well as flight records...

www.foxnews.com

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 8d

Suddenly MAGA fans don’t want free speech anymore
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/17/s...
(My latest column. South African fans of Donald Trump don’t seem to understand what “free speech” means. No, it doesn’t mean “speech has consequences”. It means the exact opposite.)

Suddenly MAGA fans don’t want free speech anymore - Daily Friend

South African fans of Donald Trump don’t seem to understand what “free speech” means. No, it doesn’t mean “speech has consequences”. It means the exact opposite.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 11d

Saudi warning: 'Qatar will bring Hamas back'
www.israelhayom.com/2025/10/12/s...
(They're right. Why Trump trusts Qatar is beyond me.)

Saudi warning: 'Qatar will bring Hamas back'

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain are worried about the major role given to Qatar in President Donald Trump’s plan for Middle East

www.israelhayom.com

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Reposted by Ivo Vegter

emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 15d

Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.

www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...

Part of a letter sent by a bunch of GOP members of Congress in favor of granting Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won today.

The last three paragraphs, before Rick Scott and Marco Rubio's signature, reads:

The Maduro regime's abuses and assaults on the civil society and legitimate
political activity of Venezuelan citizens have caused millions to flee to other countries,
while millions more have had no choice but to remain in the prison Maduro has
imposed on them. The peace of the region has been greatly disturbed by Maduro’s
welcoming of some of the world’s worst actors, including terrorists and dictators who
support him.
It is our firm belief that María Corina Machado’s courageous and selfless
leadership, and unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals,
make her a most deserving candidate for this prestigious award. Her efforts not only
highlight the urgent need for international solidarity in the face of aggressive and
expansive authoritarianism but also serve as a reminder of the power of individual
bravery in the quest for justice.

120 670 2.1K

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 15d

An artificial intelligence reckoning is coming
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/10/a...
(My latest column. Truly disruptive technologies are relatively rare, despite what marketers will tell you. AI is worthy of the adjective.)

An artificial intelligence reckoning is coming - Daily Friend

Truly disruptive technologies are relatively rare, despite what marketers will tell you. AI is worthy of the adjective.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 17d

Help, I’ve run out of exasperated headlines
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/08/h...
(My latest column. Last time, I said “Ramaphosa will talk this country to death”. Now he’s foisting yet another talk shop on us: an “economic war room”. It will fail.)

Help, I’ve run out of exasperated headlines - Daily Friend

I said “Ramaphosa will talk this country to death”. Now he’s foisting yet another talk shop on us: an “economic war room”. It will fail.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 18d

Perfume mistaken for opium, Indian man has US visa revoked, faces deportation
www.indiatoday.in/world/us-new...
(Top tip for braindead racist rednecks playing detective in Arkansas: international drug kingpins don't conveniently label their products like they do in cartoons.)

Perfume mistaken for opium, Indian man has US visa revoked, faces deportation

An Indian-origin man in US' Arkansas is seeking to restore his visa after he was wrongly arrested when police mistook a designer perfume labelled "opium" for drugs. Though the narcotics charge was dro...

www.indiatoday.in

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 18d

Will the NCOP shield failing municipalities from accountability?
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/07/w...
(My latest column. The National Council of Provinces vetoed the Western Cape's decision to place Knysna municipality into administration. Why should other provinces have that right?)

Will the NCOP shield failing municipalities from accountability? - Daily Friend

The wheels of government grind slowly on, until they run up against the immovable wall of the National Council of Provinces.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 20d

ICE Agents Dragged Naked Children Out of Homes in Chicago Raid: Neighbors
www.newsweek.com/ice-agents-d...
(Sure am glad Murika is Great Again, yessir I am.)

ICE agents dragged naked children out of homes in Chicago: Neighbors

Two residents reported witnessing federal immigration agents forcibly removing unclothed children from apartments during the raid.

www.newsweek.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 21d

Discord customer service data breach leaks user info and scanned photo IDs
www.theverge.com/news/792032/...
(Here we go. Misguided "think of the children" laws putting everyone at risk.)

Discord customer service data breach leaks user info and scanned photo IDs

An “unauthorized party” may have accessed the names of users, the last four digits of credit card numbers, and more.

www.theverge.com

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 22d

The ghoul of McCarthyism lurches forth again
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/03/t...
(My latest column. Trump is siccing the cops on people who hold views he falsely maligns as "indicia" of political violence, which will make those views look mighty noble to younger generations.)

The ghoul of McCarthyism lurches forth again - Daily Friend

In a new national security memorandum, Donald Trump has warned of thoughts and opinions that are “motivations and indicia” of political violence.

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 23d

‘Lies Mzansi’ — A rebuttal of Songezo Zibi’s ‘alt-right smear’
www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/...
(Worthy piece by Helen Zille. Sadly, liberals keep getting smeared, by both sides of the political spectrum.)

Lies Mzansi — A rebuttal of Songezo Zibi’s alt-right smear

I pine for the day when one is not labelled racist for the belief that the best course for South Africa is genuine non-racialism, unity, and getting behind the vision of the ‘Rainbow Nation’ – however...

www.dailymaverick.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 23d

A fun new consequence of MAGA cruelty: If you're a victim of human trafficking and cannot immediately prove your citizenship because someone else has your papers, don't bother complaining to the authorities. Make sex slavery great again!

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Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 23d

The insidiousness of universal digital identification
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/02/t...
(@Martin_ASFL is right to warn about the privacy and control implications of digital ID schemes. The US never introduced even an old-fashioned universal IDs because it violates individual freedom.)

The insidiousness of universal digital identification - Daily Friend

Few tools have been as seductive as the promise of a universal identification system that the state can at will rely upon to enforce its

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 24d

The rising tide of global censorship
dailyfriend.co.za/2025/10/01/t...
(My latest column. The suppression of free speech in major developed countries sets a dangerous precedent and a poor example for nascent democracies.)

The rising tide of global censorship - Daily Friend

The suppression of free speech in major developed countries sets a dangerous precedent and a poor example for nascent democracies. There was a time when

dailyfriend.co.za

Ivo Vegter @ivovegter.bsky.social · 25d

South African pastor sets NEW date for ‘Rapture’
www.thesouthafrican.com/lifestyle/pa...
(Today I learnt God is still stuck on the Julian Calendar, even though a dinkum pope replaced it with his own in 1582. How can we ever be sure of the date of Easter again?)

South African pastor sets NEW date for 'Rapture'

South African preacher Joshua Mhlakela has set a new date for the 'Rapture', adding that the 'delay' was due to this simple oversight...

www.thesouthafrican.com

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