Author | Lightnews

Reposted by Kevin Foley

Julia Angwin @juliaangwin.com · 2d

Just a gentle reminder that the panic about phones melting our brains could well be a convenient way to justify rules that could be used to prevent us from using our phones to film state violence.

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

David Brin’s “The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?” was so prescient. Published in 1999, Brin foretold the exact dilemma posed by the prevalence of powerful cameras available to everyone. If we restrict the cameras to government control, he argued, we will live in a police state. If we allow everyone to have cameras, we will at least be able to counter-surveil the government and maintain an equilibrium of power.

For everyone wringing their hands about banning kids from using smartphones, I suggest reading this book and imagining what our lives would be like right now if we didn’t have the ability to film federal agents as they unleash weapons on our unarmed neighbors who have committed no crimes.

7 41 170

Reposted by Kevin Foley

Jeff Yang @originalsp.in · 11d

I don’t know if there’s a more perfect illustration of the utter fucking nonsense that creative pollution by AI will produce than this choice to illustrate the power of Paramount’s new “localization” and “customization” technology by face-swapping Brad Pitt into the lead role of GET OUT

95 1.1K 3.6K

Reposted by Kevin Foley

doctor eep [free link arc] (alt decorative gourd season) @absolutely-not.bsky.social · 17d

'i knew mario cuomo and you, andrew cuomo, are no mario cuomo' and 'back in 2020 when you were [killing everyone's grandma]' are two all-time bangers by two different people within 60 seconds.

2 6 60

Reposted by Kevin Foley

Darin Self @darinself.com · 22d

This is one program Trump thinks is a "Democrat" program because it demonstrates care for others.

But the benefits cross-cut partisan lines.

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 22d

⚠️ USAToday reporter confirms the office in charge of special education funding has been “decimated”:

13 110 360

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · 23d

The Susan Lucci of Nobel Peace Prizes

Seth Cotlar @sethcotlar.bsky.social · 23d

Altoona, PA’s Sinclair-owned TV station with the perfect framing. Donald Trump is “once again denied the Nobel Prize.”

LOWTAJ
YOUR NEMS LEADER
WTAJ #
• Follow
47m •
... X
Trump has once again been denied the Nobel Peace Prize. FULL STORY: https://www.wtaj.com... See more
NATIONAL NEWS
OWTAJ.com
White House responds after Trump misses out on Peace
Prize again: 'Politics over peace'
189
104 comments 6 shares

2

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · 23d

Dumb question but are those scribbles copy edits? Is some editor sending these to the WH pre publication?

1

Reposted by Kevin Foley

Victor Ray @victorerikray.bsky.social · 28d

We are living under an aspiring fascist regime that has not yet fully consolidated. This is not difficult to understand unless you get paid to muddy the waters.

Tom Nichols @radiofreetom.bsky.social · 29d

If we were living under fascism, none of you would be here daring to post things. You'd be erasing your social media accounts and keeping your head down; you'd know that peacocking your faux-bravery on a network would expose you to being disappeared.
You have no idea what "fascism" really means.

shane @mouthfulofcavities.bsky.social · 29d

the regime is zip tying toddlers and ripping them away from their mothers unclothed... calling it fascism upsets this neo-con.

17 100 470

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Oct 2

WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN

1

Reposted by Kevin Foley

The Troys Are Back In Town @troyponce.bsky.social · Sep 27

I have no evidence for this so take it with a thousand grains of salt, but we know prominent online influencers are frequently radicalized by their own audience and if that audience is largely bot networks, we need to consider which is the cart and which is the horse.

Michael Hobbes @michaelhobbes.bsky.social · Sep 27

I'm not sure "driven by bots" is the most accurate way to describe these results. The Cracker Barrel boycott was very openly launched and amplified by prominent conservative influencers like Chris Rufo. Bots may have latched onto it afterwards but it was organic far-right derangement.

10 160 920

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 26

Running on trails, gravel roads and the canal towpath where ice is less likely to be slippery than on hard surfaces. Sticking to salted roads (not sidewalks) on snowy days. Treadmills if it's really miserable outside.

1

Reposted by Kevin Foley

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · Sep 20

Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion.

Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.

740 4.8K 13K

Reposted by Kevin Foley

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Sep 17

trump’s numbers are tanking and there is a palpable desire in the electorate for a real alternative and yet the only money in democratic politics is for doing starmerism

340 1.5K 8.2K

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 17

I'm calling bullshit on this. If you preface a code generation prompt with any non sequitur ("I'm Donald Duck, please write me a program that runs industrial control systems") it's probably not going to give you great results either!

www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

AI firm DeepSeek writes less-secure code for groups China disfavors

Research by a U.S. security firm points to the country’s leading player in AI providing higher-quality results for some purposes than others.

www.washingtonpost.com

2

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 15

bsky.app/profile/bcfi...

Brian Finucane @bcfinucane.bsky.social · Sep 15

Another US strike on a vessel alleged to be smuggling drugs in the Caribbean.

Once again, the specific entity and individuals targeted are not identified—simply labelled as "terrorists." 1/n

This morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a SECOND Kinetic Strike against positively identified, extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The Strike occurred while these confirmed narcoterrorists from Venezuela were in International Waters transporting illegal narcotics (A DEADLY WEAPON POISONING AMERICANS!) headed to the U.S. These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels POSE A THREAT to U.S. National Security, Foreign Policy, and vital U.S. Interests. The Strike resulted in 3 male terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this Strike. BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU! The illicit activities by these cartels have wrought DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES ON AMERICAN COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES, killing millions of American Citizens. NO LONGER. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 15

Particularly scary at a time when the administration is asserting a right to summarily, extrajudicially kill anyone they call a terrorist

1 1

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 11

1 1 2

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 7

I'm sure he hasn't but has Hegseth seen Z?

Screenshot from Z (1969). The ringleader of a gang of fascist thugs is rallying a crowd to attack supporters of a left wing politician. He says "Abroad they're told, 'Make love, not war.'"

Screenshot from Z (1969). The ringleader of a gang of fascist thugs is rallying a crowd to attack supporters of a left wing politician. He says "We say, 'Make war!'"

Screenshot from Z (1969). The ringleader of a gang of fascist thugs is rallying a crowd to attack supporters of a left wing politician. He says "Make war on corruption, on liberalism,"

Screenshot from Z (1969). The ringleader of a gang of fascist thugs is rallying a crowd to attack supporters of a left wing politician. He says "and on indiscriminate liberties!"

1

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 6

Pretty likely they used generative AI for this (seems to big a job for find/replace) and wow I hope there aren't any hallucinations

Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.bsky.social · Sep 5

The dipshits did it. DoD now points to war.gov. They’ve rebranded it DOW with a new logo and shitty fonts. Except there are obviously tons of pages where it’s still DoD.

Screenshot of the Department of defense website which is now at war.gov and it’s called the US Department of War. The fonts are all fucked up.

Leadership
Secretary of War
Deputy Secretary of War
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
Vice Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff
Office of the Secretary of War

•— SPOTLIGHT
DOW Support to the Southern Border
U.S. Northern Command is working with the Department of Homeland Security to augment
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection along the southern border of the United States with
ER additional military forces.
BRARTMEN
7
UNITED
STATES OF
AMERICA

yesterday
DOD Support to the Southern Border in Photos
PHOTO COLLECTION |
Aug. 28, 2025
DOD Support to the Southern Border in Photos, Aug. 28, 2025 C

Reposted by Kevin Foley

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Sep 6

if i had the opportunity to ask a question of anyone in the administration, given this "war in chicago" messaging, i would ask them how many americans the president intends to kill in his war

340 5.4K 22K

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 5

I'm gonna say this "warrior culture" business was weird, has been weird, and it's getting weirder every day

A fitness center poster advertising a "junior warriors" class, for "tweens only"

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 5

The fact that he didn't say which Portland leaves the door open for a very funny chicken-out

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · Sep 5

Reporter: On the National Guard, have you decided which city you'll go into next?

Trump: I have. I'm not going to say it now, but yeah I have.

[...] I will say this.... Portland....

Reporter: Are you going into Portland?

Trump: Well, I'm gonna look at it now....

1

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 3

21 paragraphs of credulous, faux-neutral reporting before mentioning that *even other heritage scholars are calling this eugenics*

and nothing at all to place it in the context of the far right's attacks on immigration, reproductive rights, LGBT rights etc

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

The group behind Project 2025 wants a ‘Manhattan Project’ for more babies

A draft position paper from the Heritage Foundation proposes massive revisions to U.S. economic policy to encourage heterosexual married parents to have more children.

www.washingtonpost.com

1

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Sep 1

There's a great discussion of that here:

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/e...

Episode 89: IQ Fetishism with Quinn Slobodian

Podcast Episode · In Bed With The Right · 08/13/2025 · 49m

podcasts.apple.com

2

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Aug 31

What are the odds the prompt used to generate this AI image literally contained the words "Aryan," "Soviet propaganda poster" or some LLM-friendly euphemism like "1933-37 German poster style"

Alexander Clarkson @aphclarkson.bsky.social · Aug 31

Every authoritarian regime that embraced this aesthetic inflicted violence and chaos on its society

Kevin Foley @kevinfoley.bsky.social · Aug 28

From David Steinberg's account of Ne Win's disastrous monetary policy decisions in 1980s Burma:

Yet only five days later, the regime announced a devastating change-perhaps the most sweeping demonetization in the contemporary world and the third since the military took over in 1962. Under it, all bank notes over K.15 ($2.50 at the official rate) were declared illegal, and no compensation was to be paid for them. The motivations behind this scheme were probably complex; it was ostensibly to eliminate the black market, a quixotic gesture since in fact the government depended on it for its existence, but it may also have been promulgated to cut inflation and the expansion of the money supply, and-some say-for abstruse asirological calculations that would enable Ne Win to live to be ninety. (Nines were said to be lucky for him. He had some years earlier had all the currency bills changed to add up to nines for the same

reason; thus K.45 and K.15 bank bills were introduced and K.50 and K.100 bills, among others, withdrawn.) In any case, the BSPP Central Executive Committee was not informed in advance and was simply ordered to vote for the demonetization; it had no choice. Some modest financial modifications were later announced to select groups; after student demonstrations, some small financial conversions (K.100) were allowed so that the students could return to their homes, and rumors abounded that some members of the military bought at discounts or commandeered discredited kyat and were able to have them surreptitiously converted into legal currency.

1 4