John Pettus
@johngpettus.bsky.social
Social venture entrepreneur. San Francisco native. Iraq veteran. Economics-trained, MBA liberal. Both more liberal and more conservative than you, in some ways. Working on improving public discourse and teaching & measuring critical thinking at scale.
Pinned
Oooh.
This servicemember needs to be prosecuted, regardless. But if he says this, he may not be the blameless victim we all assumed when the Secretary of War Crimes ordered him to "kill everyone".
This servicemember needs to be prosecuted, regardless. But if he says this, he may not be the blameless victim we all assumed when the Secretary of War Crimes ordered him to "kill everyone".
Ishmael clinging to Queequeg’s floating coffin was still actively trying to kill Moby Dick, says subordinate white whale
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
www.wsj.com/politics/nat...
Exclusive | Survivors of Boat Strike Were Actively Continuing Drug Mission, Admiral to Tell Lawmakers
Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley, the commander of the September attack, is set to provide an account of his role for the first time in a closed briefing.
www.wsj.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:46 AM
Oooh.
This servicemember needs to be prosecuted, regardless. But if he says this, he may not be the blameless victim we all assumed when the Secretary of War Crimes ordered him to "kill everyone".
This servicemember needs to be prosecuted, regardless. But if he says this, he may not be the blameless victim we all assumed when the Secretary of War Crimes ordered him to "kill everyone".
Reposted by John Pettus
Johnson isn't worried, though: He knows nothing about it because he hasn't been following the news. www.axios.com/2025/12/04/m...
Mike Johnson faces widespread Republican revolt
One member called Johnson a "political novice."
www.axios.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:38 AM
Johnson isn't worried, though: He knows nothing about it because he hasn't been following the news. www.axios.com/2025/12/04/m...
Reposted by John Pettus
“California Love” turns 30 today
“Pac had just gotten out [of prison] and he came by” my home studio, said Dr. Dre. “He heard the beat one time and just went straight to writing — no hesitation .. and did the whole thing in one take. The whole room knew right then it was something special.”
“Pac had just gotten out [of prison] and he came by” my home studio, said Dr. Dre. “He heard the beat one time and just went straight to writing — no hesitation .. and did the whole thing in one take. The whole room knew right then it was something special.”
December 4, 2025 at 12:44 AM
“California Love” turns 30 today
“Pac had just gotten out [of prison] and he came by” my home studio, said Dr. Dre. “He heard the beat one time and just went straight to writing — no hesitation .. and did the whole thing in one take. The whole room knew right then it was something special.”
“Pac had just gotten out [of prison] and he came by” my home studio, said Dr. Dre. “He heard the beat one time and just went straight to writing — no hesitation .. and did the whole thing in one take. The whole room knew right then it was something special.”
Reposted by John Pettus
All super rich guys sound the same now. It’s all “I sleep four hours a night and spend the other twenty hours a day developing a product that’s going to bring us the best widespread poverty anyone’s ever seen.”
December 3, 2025 at 9:53 PM
All super rich guys sound the same now. It’s all “I sleep four hours a night and spend the other twenty hours a day developing a product that’s going to bring us the best widespread poverty anyone’s ever seen.”
Reposted by John Pettus
All I want for Christmas is for the worst people in the world to experience some consequences
December 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
All I want for Christmas is for the worst people in the world to experience some consequences
If that was an achilles for Giannis are there now... zero superstars playing in the Eastern Conference?
Unless you count Trey Young or Jalen Brunson? Jalen Brown?
Those are not superstars.
Unless you count Trey Young or Jalen Brunson? Jalen Brown?
Those are not superstars.
December 4, 2025 at 1:31 AM
If that was an achilles for Giannis are there now... zero superstars playing in the Eastern Conference?
Unless you count Trey Young or Jalen Brunson? Jalen Brown?
Those are not superstars.
Unless you count Trey Young or Jalen Brunson? Jalen Brown?
Those are not superstars.
Reposted by John Pettus
My nuanced, measured reaction to this: you gotta be fuckin' kidding me
A very concerning moment in Milwaukee. Giannis falls down on a non-contact injury and has to summon the trainer onto the floor.
Talk about a day for Giannis and the Bucks franchise. Here's hoping this is not a serious injury 🙏
Talk about a day for Giannis and the Bucks franchise. Here's hoping this is not a serious injury 🙏
December 4, 2025 at 1:25 AM
My nuanced, measured reaction to this: you gotta be fuckin' kidding me
I think Age Verification is going to be the first truly huge internet debacle that teaches a lot of well-meaning but ignorant-about-how-the-internet-and-the-world-works people that the government does not (yet?) have the technical/moral capacity to write non-catastrophic regulations of the internet.
Missouri’s age-gate law took effect earlier this week, meaning 25 US states have passed a form of age verification.
“The thing that people misunderstand most about age verification is that it actually applies to all of us ... Everyone will have to interact with this.” www.wired.com/story/age-ve...
“The thing that people misunderstand most about age verification is that it actually applies to all of us ... Everyone will have to interact with this.” www.wired.com/story/age-ve...
The Age-Gated Internet Is Sweeping the US. Activists Are Fighting Back
Half of the country now requires age verification to watch porn or access “harmful” content. Digital rights advocates are pushing back against legislation they say will make the internet less safe.
www.wired.com
December 4, 2025 at 1:23 AM
I think Age Verification is going to be the first truly huge internet debacle that teaches a lot of well-meaning but ignorant-about-how-the-internet-and-the-world-works people that the government does not (yet?) have the technical/moral capacity to write non-catastrophic regulations of the internet.
Reposted by John Pettus
Democratic politicians need to stop accepting Trump’s white nationalist premise that immigration is bad and proudly and loudly make a positive case for why America’s identity and history as a nation of immigrants is so important.
December 4, 2025 at 1:14 AM
Democratic politicians need to stop accepting Trump’s white nationalist premise that immigration is bad and proudly and loudly make a positive case for why America’s identity and history as a nation of immigrants is so important.
I cannot stress how much I agree with every word of this analysis by @atrupar.com.
It is SUCH a pernicious, powerful anti-social effect on our culture.
It is SUCH a pernicious, powerful anti-social effect on our culture.
this clip encapsulates so much of what has been wrong about MSM Trump coverage for the past decade -- treating Trump's lies and bigotry as a valid "side" of a debate instead of calling it out, because calling it out makes it seem as though you're biased
MSNBC reporter presents Trump's shameful racism towards Somalis as merely "a different view"
December 4, 2025 at 12:24 AM
I cannot stress how much I agree with every word of this analysis by @atrupar.com.
It is SUCH a pernicious, powerful anti-social effect on our culture.
It is SUCH a pernicious, powerful anti-social effect on our culture.
Reposted by John Pettus
this clip encapsulates so much of what has been wrong about MSM Trump coverage for the past decade -- treating Trump's lies and bigotry as a valid "side" of a debate instead of calling it out, because calling it out makes it seem as though you're biased
MSNBC reporter presents Trump's shameful racism towards Somalis as merely "a different view"
December 3, 2025 at 9:55 PM
this clip encapsulates so much of what has been wrong about MSM Trump coverage for the past decade -- treating Trump's lies and bigotry as a valid "side" of a debate instead of calling it out, because calling it out makes it seem as though you're biased
We will never again live under the rule of law until the pardon power is removed from the Constitution.
Pretty much by definition.
Pretty much by definition.
One of the many, many, many pernicious things about this presidency is that it should be a scandal how little use previous presidents made of the pardon and commutation powers.
But of course Trump is making the absolute worst possible use of them, so …
But of course Trump is making the absolute worst possible use of them, so …
December 4, 2025 at 12:12 AM
We will never again live under the rule of law until the pardon power is removed from the Constitution.
Pretty much by definition.
Pretty much by definition.
Reposted by John Pettus
Waiting for the “critics say this was bigoted” in the top of the hour newscast.
Trump, continued: "What the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable. It’s not even believable. And a lot of it starts with the governor. A lot of it starts with Barack HUSSEIN Obama, because that’s when people started coming in... They want to kiss our country good night."
December 3, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Waiting for the “critics say this was bigoted” in the top of the hour newscast.
Reposted by John Pettus
the "???" is "a larger share of our chattering classes than you think is deep in the throes of a gambling addiction"
This is gambling, and we've essentially decided that it's okay to let it go on entirely unregulated for ??? Reasons.
The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."
December 3, 2025 at 10:38 PM
the "???" is "a larger share of our chattering classes than you think is deep in the throes of a gambling addiction"
This is a level and type of government invalidating corruption which can skip all the steps and lead straight to a violent revolution. Because this is people in power simply using a technicality to set aside the democratic results of elections.
JUST IN: Mike Johnson plans to swear in Rep.-elect Matt Van Epps on Thursday — less than two days after he won the TN-07 special election.
As a reminder, it took Johnson 50 days to swear in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva.
As a reminder, it took Johnson 50 days to swear in Democratic Rep. Adelita Grijalva.
December 3, 2025 at 11:30 PM
This is a level and type of government invalidating corruption which can skip all the steps and lead straight to a violent revolution. Because this is people in power simply using a technicality to set aside the democratic results of elections.
Reposted by John Pettus
If you think your job is not to tell the truth but to "challenge your audience's assumptions" if the latter is in tension with the former then you're going to end up lying. bsky.app/profile/larr...
For my part, I would say that questioning the framing of some Times stories—for example, the highlighting of Trump’s putative emotions or the foregrounding of what he says (even when, as is often the case, what he says is false)—is not an indication that I want my “views validated.”
December 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM
If you think your job is not to tell the truth but to "challenge your audience's assumptions" if the latter is in tension with the former then you're going to end up lying. bsky.app/profile/larr...
Reposted by John Pettus
I think "financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion" might be the worst thing I've ever read
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
The co-founder of Kalshi says: " The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion."
December 3, 2025 at 11:16 PM
I think "financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion" might be the worst thing I've ever read
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
the competition is strong but it's a real contender
Reposted by John Pettus
The White House Intervened On Behalf Of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During A Federal Investigation
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male…
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male…
The White House Intervened On Behalf Of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During A Federal Investigation
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male followers, was facing allegations of sex trafficking women in three countries when he and his brother left their home in Romania to visit the United States. “The Tates will be free, Trump is the president.
www.techdirt.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:17 PM
The White House Intervened On Behalf Of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During A Federal Investigation
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male…
This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Online influencer Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist who has millions of young male…
Reposted by John Pettus
This man may be the most racist president this country has ever had, and twelve presidents owned slaves
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 10:29 PM
This man may be the most racist president this country has ever had, and twelve presidents owned slaves
Will Cain went from ESPN to FOX News specifically because he wanted to evangelize his bigotry.
Somebody called it "Republican KKKulture."
Somebody called it "Republican KKKulture."
Fox News' Will Cain: "I’m sure there are very honorable law-abiding upstanding citizens and contributors from the Somali community here in the United States, BUT..."
He goes on to say "we aren’t going to pretend here that all cultures are of equal value or the same."
He goes on to say "we aren’t going to pretend here that all cultures are of equal value or the same."
December 3, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Will Cain went from ESPN to FOX News specifically because he wanted to evangelize his bigotry.
Somebody called it "Republican KKKulture."
Somebody called it "Republican KKKulture."
Reposted by John Pettus
i'd go even further and say there is a reason even nixon kept this kind of stuff to himself. you would have to go back quite a bit to find a point at which is acceptable for a president to say anything like this *in public*, to say nothing of in the oval office.
I don’t want to be pollyannish about the past, but it was basically inconceivable twenty years ago that a president would say this publicly
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 11:04 PM
i'd go even further and say there is a reason even nixon kept this kind of stuff to himself. you would have to go back quite a bit to find a point at which is acceptable for a president to say anything like this *in public*, to say nothing of in the oval office.
Reposted by John Pettus
Conspiracy theory: “They’re hiding the inflation data!”
Boring reality: “We sent the data nerds home for six weeks and they couldn’t collect it.”
As usual, never attribute to malice what can be explained by budget dysfunction.
Boring reality: “We sent the data nerds home for six weeks and they couldn’t collect it.”
As usual, never attribute to malice what can be explained by budget dysfunction.
December 3, 2025 at 10:56 PM
Conspiracy theory: “They’re hiding the inflation data!”
Boring reality: “We sent the data nerds home for six weeks and they couldn’t collect it.”
As usual, never attribute to malice what can be explained by budget dysfunction.
Boring reality: “We sent the data nerds home for six weeks and they couldn’t collect it.”
As usual, never attribute to malice what can be explained by budget dysfunction.
Reposted by John Pettus
It’s true. We shouldn’t pretend that. Trumpist culture is not the same as American culture and not equal. Trumpist culture is proudly ignorant, defiantly against America’s founding values and subsequently developed values, venomously bigoted, and generally despicable.
Fox News' Will Cain: "I’m sure there are very honorable law-abiding upstanding citizens and contributors from the Somali community here in the United States, BUT..."
He goes on to say "we aren’t going to pretend here that all cultures are of equal value or the same."
He goes on to say "we aren’t going to pretend here that all cultures are of equal value or the same."
December 3, 2025 at 10:31 PM
It’s true. We shouldn’t pretend that. Trumpist culture is not the same as American culture and not equal. Trumpist culture is proudly ignorant, defiantly against America’s founding values and subsequently developed values, venomously bigoted, and generally despicable.
Reposted by John Pettus
Party of the big tent and such.
December 3, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Party of the big tent and such.
Reposted by John Pettus
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution
December 3, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Mike Luckovich, Atlanta Journal Constitution