Simon St.Laurent
@simonstl.com
"Enraged hermit" aspiring to chaotic good. Tech, gardening, politics, Quakerism, Green, and more. Cis, he/his. Also @[email protected]
Pinned
Simon St.Laurent
@simonstl.com
· Nov 18
When times are bad, help people.
When times are good, help people.
When times are good, help people.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
One need not believe that the election was tainted to believe that this regime has *rendered* itself illegitimate.
I'm glad to hear Bouie say "This regime is illegitimate" because it's a word that's been bouncing around in my head. I think it's a helpful framing and one that Democratic leaders internalize. Once you accept that this is an illegitimate, authoritarian regime, it should inform how you resist.
January 24, 2026 at 9:45 PM
One need not believe that the election was tainted to believe that this regime has *rendered* itself illegitimate.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
"look to the helpers"
THEY'RE MURDERING THE HELPERS
THEY'RE MURDERING THE HELPERS
January 24, 2026 at 9:12 PM
"look to the helpers"
THEY'RE MURDERING THE HELPERS
THEY'RE MURDERING THE HELPERS
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The term martyr means “witness.” The man was murdered for bearing witness, literally bearing it, not arms but a camera. Murdered for seeing.
January 24, 2026 at 9:45 PM
The term martyr means “witness.” The man was murdered for bearing witness, literally bearing it, not arms but a camera. Murdered for seeing.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
If you believe anything DHS says about today's shooting after their near-instantaneous fabrication about the shooting of Renee Good, I've got a bridge to sell you.
January 24, 2026 at 6:06 PM
If you believe anything DHS says about today's shooting after their near-instantaneous fabrication about the shooting of Renee Good, I've got a bridge to sell you.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
A poem
All anyone had to do to see it coming was look
January 24, 2026 at 9:36 PM
A poem
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
What's making me really livid right now is thinking back to the years of commentary lecturing us that the rise of MAGA was rooted in a sense of righteous victimization by overbearing liberal elites, and sneering at those who insisted that it was fundamentally about domination and sadism all along.
They are telling us in unequivocal terms that if you show solidarity with immigrants who are in the literal crosshairs of Trump/MAGA, you're risking a death sentence.
newrepublic.com/article/2055...
newrepublic.com/article/2055...
January 24, 2026 at 7:34 PM
What's making me really livid right now is thinking back to the years of commentary lecturing us that the rise of MAGA was rooted in a sense of righteous victimization by overbearing liberal elites, and sneering at those who insisted that it was fundamentally about domination and sadism all along.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
As someone who has spent over 35 years trying to explain that violence is inherent to policing only to have most people be OK with this, I could be excused if I decided to just give up. But I'm not. I knew we would be where we are today. I still think that we do not have to live like this.
January 24, 2026 at 8:39 PM
As someone who has spent over 35 years trying to explain that violence is inherent to policing only to have most people be OK with this, I could be excused if I decided to just give up. But I'm not. I knew we would be where we are today. I still think that we do not have to live like this.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
What a stark, horrifying demonstration of the tension a union opens itself to when it organizes security forces.
If you hesitate to condemn the killing of a member, for fear of alienating the members who fired the guns, what sort of cage have you built around your union?
If you hesitate to condemn the killing of a member, for fear of alienating the members who fired the guns, what sort of cage have you built around your union?
My god.
Statement from AFGE: Alex was a member. His killer may have been as well.
Statement from AFGE: Alex was a member. His killer may have been as well.
January 24, 2026 at 9:46 PM
What a stark, horrifying demonstration of the tension a union opens itself to when it organizes security forces.
If you hesitate to condemn the killing of a member, for fear of alienating the members who fired the guns, what sort of cage have you built around your union?
If you hesitate to condemn the killing of a member, for fear of alienating the members who fired the guns, what sort of cage have you built around your union?
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The U.S. Treasury Secretary called for part of Canada to secede and join the U.S., and there's so much going on hardly anyone even had time to notice.
January 24, 2026 at 11:36 PM
The U.S. Treasury Secretary called for part of Canada to secede and join the U.S., and there's so much going on hardly anyone even had time to notice.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
On Fox, Heritage Foundation's Lora Ries claimed “It's very simple to not be shot by federal agents: don't draw your gun on federal agents," goes on to call the victim a "radical goon"
No reporting/video I've seen has suggested he drew his gun, but that's not stopping people on Fox from claiming it
No reporting/video I've seen has suggested he drew his gun, but that's not stopping people on Fox from claiming it
January 24, 2026 at 9:50 PM
On Fox, Heritage Foundation's Lora Ries claimed “It's very simple to not be shot by federal agents: don't draw your gun on federal agents," goes on to call the victim a "radical goon"
No reporting/video I've seen has suggested he drew his gun, but that's not stopping people on Fox from claiming it
No reporting/video I've seen has suggested he drew his gun, but that's not stopping people on Fox from claiming it
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
No. They do not "appear to" contradict it. They contradict it.
January 24, 2026 at 9:39 PM
No. They do not "appear to" contradict it. They contradict it.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
And the federal government -- *people* who already work in the federal government at the parks service, not just the political electeds and political appointments -- are *still* erasing evidence of past atrocities in this country, while committing more.
whyy.org/articles/pre...
whyy.org/articles/pre...
Anger, frustration and a lawsuit among reactions to removal of Philly slavery exhibit
The removal enforces a White House executive order to remove exhibits “disparaging” American history. The city has filed a lawsuit.
whyy.org
January 24, 2026 at 9:56 PM
And the federal government -- *people* who already work in the federal government at the parks service, not just the political electeds and political appointments -- are *still* erasing evidence of past atrocities in this country, while committing more.
whyy.org/articles/pre...
whyy.org/articles/pre...
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Seeing a bunch of normal ass midwestern moms and dads marching in -20 degrees knowing they might be tear gassed or worse really drives home what a cowardly lot of people the pundit class is
January 23, 2026 at 10:08 PM
Seeing a bunch of normal ass midwestern moms and dads marching in -20 degrees knowing they might be tear gassed or worse really drives home what a cowardly lot of people the pundit class is
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Idk kinda shitty situation for the person killed but i guess thats why im not a journalist
January 24, 2026 at 9:45 PM
Idk kinda shitty situation for the person killed but i guess thats why im not a journalist
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Sometime in the next few days, Chuck Schumer is gonna run a straight-up fucking fraud on you AGAIN. He’s gonna rail against ICE while engineering yet another cave that maintains ICE more or less at the status quo. Bank on it. They’ll then fundraise on their fake ass opposition. You already know this
Chuck Schumer retire bitch
ICE out of Minnesota NOW.
January 24, 2026 at 9:58 PM
Sometime in the next few days, Chuck Schumer is gonna run a straight-up fucking fraud on you AGAIN. He’s gonna rail against ICE while engineering yet another cave that maintains ICE more or less at the status quo. Bank on it. They’ll then fundraise on their fake ass opposition. You already know this
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
I genuinely think boycotting the World Cup is some of the strongest leverage the Europeans have.
A German soccer federation executive committee member says it's time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
German soccer federation official wants World Cup boycott considered because of Trump
A German soccer federation executive committee member says it’s time to consider a World Cup boycott because of the actions of U.S. President Donald Trump.
bit.ly
January 24, 2026 at 12:39 AM
I genuinely think boycotting the World Cup is some of the strongest leverage the Europeans have.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis today.
ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.
January 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM
As tens of thousands across America protest the violence that ICE sows with impunity, federal agents shot and killed another person in Minneapolis today.
ICE terrorizes our cities. ICE puts us all in danger. Abolish ICE.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Keep taking videos, people.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz: "Thank God. Thank God we have video. Because according to DHS, these 7 heroic guys took an onslaught of a battalion against him or something. It's nonsense, people. It is nonsense and it's lies."
January 24, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Keep taking videos, people.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
I have to assume the magas are working to get generative ai video to produce countervailing versions of these violent incidents — to scramble our sense of reality.
But it's nice to feel like video evidence still has some authority in the national consciousness. I hope it lasts.
But it's nice to feel like video evidence still has some authority in the national consciousness. I hope it lasts.
January 24, 2026 at 10:02 PM
I have to assume the magas are working to get generative ai video to produce countervailing versions of these violent incidents — to scramble our sense of reality.
But it's nice to feel like video evidence still has some authority in the national consciousness. I hope it lasts.
But it's nice to feel like video evidence still has some authority in the national consciousness. I hope it lasts.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
When you have masked secret police, accountability ends, and democracy dies.
January 24, 2026 at 9:40 PM
When you have masked secret police, accountability ends, and democracy dies.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
The DHS funding bill is effectively dead in the Senate.
New: @cortezmasto.senate.gov is a no on the DHS funding bill.
January 24, 2026 at 9:35 PM
The DHS funding bill is effectively dead in the Senate.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
Agreed. I'll add this old Hobbes skeet that in this extremely hostile media environment 'perfect' slogans can only go so far. "Abolish ICE" is imperfect but so is BLM. BLM pushed through despite a hostile media b/c of the political momentum generated by mass protests (among other factors).
"Flatten the curve" is maybe the most successful slogan of the last 10 years and conveys a relatively complicated idea! The difference is that the media helped explain and operationalize its underlying message. With "Defund the police" the media did the opposite.
"Medicare for all" also requires explanation! So does "I like Ike" and "Black Lives Matter" and "Think globally, act locally" and every other political slogan ever
January 24, 2026 at 9:46 PM
Agreed. I'll add this old Hobbes skeet that in this extremely hostile media environment 'perfect' slogans can only go so far. "Abolish ICE" is imperfect but so is BLM. BLM pushed through despite a hostile media b/c of the political momentum generated by mass protests (among other factors).
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
darkly amusing that when like a literal federal paramilitary is on the streets, one of the Reason writers is "can't we get along?"
my brother in christ, what was libertarianism for, if not this
my brother in christ, what was libertarianism for, if not this
They can’t even say “this is bad” without throat clearing and moronic meta-analyses.
January 24, 2026 at 8:45 PM
darkly amusing that when like a literal federal paramilitary is on the streets, one of the Reason writers is "can't we get along?"
my brother in christ, what was libertarianism for, if not this
my brother in christ, what was libertarianism for, if not this
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
centrists like to use terminology disputes as a proxy battle for actual policy fights, and engaging is often fruitless. if you don’t like the slogan use something else. but the agency needs to be hollowed out, every existing agent needs to be put on no-hire lists, and there need to be prosecutions.
January 24, 2026 at 6:02 PM
centrists like to use terminology disputes as a proxy battle for actual policy fights, and engaging is often fruitless. if you don’t like the slogan use something else. but the agency needs to be hollowed out, every existing agent needs to be put on no-hire lists, and there need to be prosecutions.
Reposted by Simon St.Laurent
so I think scenarios are:
1) everyone basically agrees on the Senate version, happens before Friday, no shutdown
2) Senate can't find a deal, partial shutdown until that happens
3) DHS gets split, things move fast, DHS-only shutdown
1) everyone basically agrees on the Senate version, happens before Friday, no shutdown
2) Senate can't find a deal, partial shutdown until that happens
3) DHS gets split, things move fast, DHS-only shutdown
January 24, 2026 at 10:07 PM
so I think scenarios are:
1) everyone basically agrees on the Senate version, happens before Friday, no shutdown
2) Senate can't find a deal, partial shutdown until that happens
3) DHS gets split, things move fast, DHS-only shutdown
1) everyone basically agrees on the Senate version, happens before Friday, no shutdown
2) Senate can't find a deal, partial shutdown until that happens
3) DHS gets split, things move fast, DHS-only shutdown