randy r. potts
@thephatic.bsky.social
journo, editor, photog; Hromadske, TVPWorld, New Yorker, AJE, VQR, et al 🏳️🌈
Tulsa / Baltimore / Warszawa
Signal: thephatic.39
Tulsa / Baltimore / Warszawa
Signal: thephatic.39
why are tech Nazis literally always on speed
December 5, 2025 at 4:21 PM
why are tech Nazis literally always on speed
Reposted by randy r. potts
They have no plans to ever win over the public again.
They instead have plans to not have to.
They instead have plans to not have to.
So many scandals now but pay attention to this: DOJ has sued 14 states-12 led by Dems-to demand full unredacted voter files in order to turbocharge Trump voter suppression plans
@abbyvesoulis.bsky.social & I detail threat this poses to voting rights ahead of 2026 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
@abbyvesoulis.bsky.social & I detail threat this poses to voting rights ahead of 2026 www.motherjones.com/politics/202...
Trump’s DOJ is building a voter purge machine—powered by your private data
The federal agency ordinarily would prevent attacks on voting rights. Now it’s carrying them out.
www.motherjones.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:38 PM
They have no plans to ever win over the public again.
They instead have plans to not have to.
They instead have plans to not have to.
Reposted by randy r. potts
Thread on the huge shift in US policy towards Russia visible in the new National Security Strategy - the biggest change since the collapse of the USSR. 🧵
December 5, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Thread on the huge shift in US policy towards Russia visible in the new National Security Strategy - the biggest change since the collapse of the USSR. 🧵
Reposted by randy r. potts
Terrifying.
"More and more, influential voices in the Maga movement and the far-right Republican party are calling to strip women of the franchise."
"The opposition to women’s suffrage has entered the mainstream as the Republican party has radicalized."
https://bit.ly/4oDPcWK
"More and more, influential voices in the Maga movement and the far-right Republican party are calling to strip women of the franchise."
"The opposition to women’s suffrage has entered the mainstream as the Republican party has radicalized."
https://bit.ly/4oDPcWK
Rightwingers are trying to destroy women’s right to vote | Moira Donegan
Calls for disenfranchisement rest on a single assumption: that women’s citizenship is partial and conditional
www.theguardian.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Terrifying.
"More and more, influential voices in the Maga movement and the far-right Republican party are calling to strip women of the franchise."
"The opposition to women’s suffrage has entered the mainstream as the Republican party has radicalized."
https://bit.ly/4oDPcWK
"More and more, influential voices in the Maga movement and the far-right Republican party are calling to strip women of the franchise."
"The opposition to women’s suffrage has entered the mainstream as the Republican party has radicalized."
https://bit.ly/4oDPcWK
Reposted by randy r. potts
Our national security strategy contains points lifted directly from TASS
December 5, 2025 at 4:47 AM
Our national security strategy contains points lifted directly from TASS
list on the screenshot describes most journalists and all editors
Holy shit.
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
December 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM
list on the screenshot describes most journalists and all editors
Reposted by randy r. potts
major debacle in Italy, as writers as famous as Scurati are decrying the inclusion of a fascist booth in a major book fair... note the ecofascist implications of "journey to the woods" and the Italian translation of Sellner's "remigration"—something we have heard about...
www.ft.com/content/833f...
www.ft.com/content/833f...
Italian writers decry fascist rehabilitation at top book fair
Authors challenge decision to give stand to hard-right imprint at prestigious Rome literary event
www.ft.com
December 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM
major debacle in Italy, as writers as famous as Scurati are decrying the inclusion of a fascist booth in a major book fair... note the ecofascist implications of "journey to the woods" and the Italian translation of Sellner's "remigration"—something we have heard about...
www.ft.com/content/833f...
www.ft.com/content/833f...
not to mention pushing Germany to rearm while also ... promoting the new German Nazi party ...
lol yes when you tell Europe to rearm, this is what happens, you absolute muppets
Can’t wait for the hand wringing that happens when they rediscover stupid nationalistic tendencies and get another arms race going followed by a fucking massive war
Which was all preventable
Can’t wait for the hand wringing that happens when they rediscover stupid nationalistic tendencies and get another arms race going followed by a fucking massive war
Which was all preventable
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau today slammed European NATO allies for prioritizing their own defense industry over American arms suppliers, according to three NATO diplomats.
December 4, 2025 at 5:41 PM
not to mention pushing Germany to rearm while also ... promoting the new German Nazi party ...
currently -6 degrees at my brother's house in Minneapolis
ICE heads to Minnesota as the triple dip polar vortex starts
December 4, 2025 at 4:55 PM
currently -6 degrees at my brother's house in Minneapolis
Reposted by randy r. potts
we need to see Gov Walz putting the Natl Guard in the streets to protect the Minnesota Somali community from ICE
December 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
we need to see Gov Walz putting the Natl Guard in the streets to protect the Minnesota Somali community from ICE
Reposted by randy r. potts
TWENTY-SIX shackled people taken by ICE today in Baltimore by Eastern Air Express.
December 3, 2025 at 6:11 PM
TWENTY-SIX shackled people taken by ICE today in Baltimore by Eastern Air Express.
thinking a lot lately about how some western leftists, such as Katrina Vanden Heuvel of @thenation.com, continually tell us that allowing Putin to occupy and enact genocide on Ukraine is "peace." You can call it non-war, you can call it ceasefire, there are many words for this! But it's not peace.
Sums up the real story. There is no peace as war continues to rage in the field, but "peace" means Trump gets control of mines in the Congo.
Much like his "peace" deals in Ukraine and Gaza are about enrichment of his family businesses.
Much like his "peace" deals in Ukraine and Gaza are about enrichment of his family businesses.
December 4, 2025 at 6:35 AM
thinking a lot lately about how some western leftists, such as Katrina Vanden Heuvel of @thenation.com, continually tell us that allowing Putin to occupy and enact genocide on Ukraine is "peace." You can call it non-war, you can call it ceasefire, there are many words for this! But it's not peace.
actually he said a klan of pedophiles, spell it right, he definitely said this with a k
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries: “Strong floor, no ceiling”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro: “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro: “A clan of pedophiles wants to destroy our democracy.”
December 4, 2025 at 6:30 AM
actually he said a klan of pedophiles, spell it right, he definitely said this with a k
Reposted by randy r. potts
I’m seeing a new Israeli/American talking point essentially saying that Lebanese citizens and government need to understand Israel is working in our best interest and if we aren’t able to understand that they are ready to attack.
Do i add this to the dystopian thread?
Do i add this to the dystopian thread?
December 4, 2025 at 6:28 AM
I’m seeing a new Israeli/American talking point essentially saying that Lebanese citizens and government need to understand Israel is working in our best interest and if we aren’t able to understand that they are ready to attack.
Do i add this to the dystopian thread?
Do i add this to the dystopian thread?
this is true for politicians as well - they should be practicing their political speeches in small HS classrooms by explaining their platform to students and letting the kids grill them - if you can't successfully defend your platform to HS students you have no business running for office
December 3, 2025 at 9:36 PM
this is true for politicians as well - they should be practicing their political speeches in small HS classrooms by explaining their platform to students and letting the kids grill them - if you can't successfully defend your platform to HS students you have no business running for office
here's another way to think through this assignment: can you clearly explain your thesis, your evidence, etc, to HS students? a lot of HS English and/or History teachers would love to let you come to class and try -
this is my #1 advice to grad students: anyone can reproduce jargon; the bigger flex is being able to make the argument in straightforward prose. clarity is indicative of deep thought and engagement. even chatGPT can write word salad.
i strongly, strongly believe that good writing is downstream of clear thinking and a strong understanding of the subject matter at hand. without fail, tortured writing comes from writers who don’t know and can’t think clearly about anything.
December 3, 2025 at 9:33 PM
here's another way to think through this assignment: can you clearly explain your thesis, your evidence, etc, to HS students? a lot of HS English and/or History teachers would love to let you come to class and try -
Reposted by randy r. potts
Minnesota, here's a sign to show your support for Somali neighbors. Share it, print it, pass it on.
PDF here >> www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s89ru...
PDF here >> www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s89ru...
December 3, 2025 at 6:24 PM
Minnesota, here's a sign to show your support for Somali neighbors. Share it, print it, pass it on.
PDF here >> www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s89ru...
PDF here >> www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s89ru...
Somali Americans have every right to go to work and school with the protection of their state's national guard - the Trump Admin can sue later, that's fine, that's how law and order works - in the meantime Tim Walz has an obligation to protect Minnesotans from kidnapping.
December 3, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Somali Americans have every right to go to work and school with the protection of their state's national guard - the Trump Admin can sue later, that's fine, that's how law and order works - in the meantime Tim Walz has an obligation to protect Minnesotans from kidnapping.
whenever a straight person tells us queers we don't know our own history we have a label for that and it's "homophobic"
Imagine being a goy and standing up and telling Jewish people they don’t know or understand their own fucking history. That Jews are ignorant and too uneducated to have correct opinions about the Jewish issue of our time that has broken families and communities. You absolute piece of trash.
Hillary Clinton blames TikTok and “totally made up” videos for young people’s views on Israel and Palestine.
She says social media influenced “not just the usual suspects” but also “young Jewish Americans who don’t know the history and don’t understand.”
She says social media influenced “not just the usual suspects” but also “young Jewish Americans who don’t know the history and don’t understand.”
December 3, 2025 at 9:01 PM
whenever a straight person tells us queers we don't know our own history we have a label for that and it's "homophobic"
first holiday cookies I've been given here in Warsaw are pretty gay
December 3, 2025 at 8:54 PM
first holiday cookies I've been given here in Warsaw are pretty gay
Reposted by randy r. potts
Congratulations to @mwpalen.bsky.social, whose book Pax Economica won the Peace History Society's Elise M. Boulding Prize! This award honors an outstanding English-language nonfiction book that has substantial bearing on the field of peace history.
Explore this exceptional work: hubs.ly/Q03VZ0VV0
Explore this exceptional work: hubs.ly/Q03VZ0VV0
December 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Congratulations to @mwpalen.bsky.social, whose book Pax Economica won the Peace History Society's Elise M. Boulding Prize! This award honors an outstanding English-language nonfiction book that has substantial bearing on the field of peace history.
Explore this exceptional work: hubs.ly/Q03VZ0VV0
Explore this exceptional work: hubs.ly/Q03VZ0VV0
there's an easy case to be made that Gov Walz has an obligation to protect the citizens of Minnesota from wanton kidnapping; have the MN Natl Guard protect Somalis and let MAGA whine all they want about it, regardless, the kidnapping must be stopped
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
there's an easy case to be made that Gov Walz has an obligation to protect the citizens of Minnesota from wanton kidnapping; have the MN Natl Guard protect Somalis and let MAGA whine all they want about it, regardless, the kidnapping must be stopped
we need to see Gov Walz putting the Natl Guard in the streets to protect the Minnesota Somali community from ICE
December 3, 2025 at 8:31 PM
we need to see Gov Walz putting the Natl Guard in the streets to protect the Minnesota Somali community from ICE
Reposted by randy r. potts
I've written about Ukraine as an outside observer but I felt this, from a Ukrainian leftist (and current soldier) @vlstarodubtsev.bsky.social was a great contribution regarding the history of Republicanism and Egalitarianism in Ukraine and a perspective unique to a Ukrainian author
Drawing on Ukrainian Republican Roots
The egalitarian history of Ukrainian identity.
www.liberalcurrents.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:55 PM
I've written about Ukraine as an outside observer but I felt this, from a Ukrainian leftist (and current soldier) @vlstarodubtsev.bsky.social was a great contribution regarding the history of Republicanism and Egalitarianism in Ukraine and a perspective unique to a Ukrainian author
Reposted by randy r. potts
Well, they might not have brought peace with Ukraine, but at least they are now also talking about war with Europe, so we are going forward
Russia ‘ready’ for war with Europe, Putin says, as US peace talks end without progress
Kremlin aide says Ukraine crisis is no closer to resolution after Witkoff talks, as Russian president accuses European powers of sabotaging peace
www.theguardian.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:06 AM
Well, they might not have brought peace with Ukraine, but at least they are now also talking about war with Europe, so we are going forward