Kyle Montanio

I'm an environmental economist who researches econ pedagogy to make learning economics marginally less dismal.

My pipe-dream is to write a fantasy novel/economics textbook, which is getting closer to reality every day.

#economics #TeachEcon #sustainability #DoughnutEconomics #degrowth #AmWriting

Profile pic is me grinning in front of a whiteboard with econ gibberish on it

Background is my dog, Freya, who is very nervous because Luna, my cat, is demanding the chair Freys is sitting in.

My Passion: Making econ marginally less dismal one post at a time. I teach economics at the UC Denver and am an all around nerd. My goal is to combine my passion for all things fantasy/sci-fi and love of economics to lower the cost of learning econ.
Writing: Circular Reasoning: A near-future sci-fi short story about AI and the circular economy related. - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IGVtd_SQznd2fJkI5JgwBQPdO8mMnMgW66yNZJlfQsI/edit?usp=sharing

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npub1gja0cql6ljcfdq9h8wuzgh73j5vuu4tncmhkrsgae65n3hjrspwquex7p5

NIP-05 Address

fantasticaleconomics_at_mas.to@momostr.pink

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relay.damus.io

nos.lol

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npub1gja0cql6ljcfdq9h8wuzgh73j5vuu4tncmhkrsgae65n3hjrspwquex7p5

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Published at

2026-08-18T16:12:16Z

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Last Notes

2026-04-19 16:27:55 UTC

- reply

It's their book from last year: The Technological Republic, but they posted the main points again yesterday to distil the evil down
https://goodreads.com/book/show/213943304#CommunityReviews
https://twitter-thread.com/t/2045574398573453312

2026-04-19 16:03:18 UTC

Fuck Palantir. Fuck their manifesto. Fuck that we have fallen so far they feel comfortable saying the evil part out loud.

2026-04-14 16:56:58 UTC

Has anything good ever come from "a crowd of mostly middle-aged men in suits"? Fuck crowds of mostly middle-aged men in suits.
"At a conference hosted by the prominent science-denying thinktank the Heartland Institute last week, a crowd of mostly middle-aged men in suits claimed the world is finally waking up to the idea that the climate crisis does not exist."
#ClimateChange
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/14/dc-conference-climate-deniers-trump-epa-chief

2026-03-25 16:54:55 UTC

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It mostly is. But there are some true believers out there who take AGI quickly followed by super intelligence as a near certainty.
The rationalist movement - the same asshats who spawned effective altruism and the likes of Sam Bankman-Fried - have strong pull in Silicon Valley and take the mytgology of AI super intelligence they created literally.
But you are spot on in thinking the monied interests regarding AGI is largely just a marketing con.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zizians

2026-03-25 12:40:02 UTC

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Ah, but have you priced in the (what is likely technically impossible) possibility of reaching AGI with LLMs?
It's like a lottery ticket for the wealthy who don't mind setting a bit of their money and the economy and the planet on fire for the slimmest of chances to become obscenely wealthy, even by billionaire standards.

2026-02-26 15:46:19 UTC

Anthropic, the sole #AI company holding to any semblance of prioritizing safe use and development, has announced it is scaling back its safety pledges.
The industry continues to race to the bottom as they compete for technological supremacy and the, at this point, purely hypothetical profits that would entail while we all bear the real risks of unrestrained development.
#economics

2026-02-23 02:40:12 UTC

😱
"Top Democratic officials who worked on the party's still-secret autopsy of the 2024 election concluded that Kamala Harris lost significant support because of the Biden administration's approach to the war in Gaza, Axios has learned."
I'm shocked. Shocked, I tell you.
https://www.axios.com/2026/02/22/dnc-2024-autopsy-harris-gaza
#politics #Gaza #FreePalestine

2026-02-07 22:12:56 UTC

I'm calling BS. There is no pissing way this guy was able to urinate this in the snow.
That (supposed) peniswriting is nicer than most men's handwriting. Also, as an occasional practitioner of dickligraphy, I can assure you that cursive is the only font that can get even reasonably close to this precision and neatness.
Clearly this is waterbottle work is all I'm saying.
Regardless, #FuckIce and I support him using his time in the limelight to say it.
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/feb/06/team-gb-winter-olympic-skier-gus-kenworthy-targets-ice-graphic-message-in-snow
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/116/031/646/862/982/899/original/ce7599d38d00a230.jpg

2025-12-23 14:54:27 UTC

It sucks we have to face a stark rise in fascism. But I am so grateful this resurgence of evil is, objectively, deeply incompetent.
It turns, out much of the #EpsteinFiles redactions were done by placing black boxes over the original text on the pdf. So you can still highlight, copy, and paste to recreate the original documents.
Simple copy/paste may bring down some evil people, hopefully even #Trump.
Take heart that the enemy is this incompetent.
https://www.reddit.com/r/law/comments/1ptlms6/some_epstein_files_can_be_unredacted/
#USPol

2025-11-25 00:58:48 UTC

Apropos of nothing, not once has a bear conspired to recruit an army of unhoused folk to take over a Haitian island, kill all the men, and take the women and children as sex slaves.
This is a post about who you'd rather meet when hiking alone in the woods.
https://www.kpbs.org/news/national/2025/11/23/texas-men-indicted-in-plot-to-take-over-haitian-island-and-enslave-women-and-children

2025-11-23 14:20:59 UTC

Anyone know any Fedi creatives that make children mobiles / other toys and decorations?
Setting up the little one's room and would prefer to support creatives here.
Boosts appreciated.

2025-11-18 02:22:58 UTC

I don't always like Popes, but when I do it's because they speak out about genuine injustice of ICE raids and demand action against #ClimateChange.
"Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged countries at United Nations climate talks to take “concrete actions” to stop climate change that is threatening the planet, telling them humans are failing in their response to global warming and that God’s creation “is crying out in floods, droughts, storms and relentless heat.”"
https://apnews.com/article/pope-climate-talk-video-climate-change-0b33de0843ee2fe7c19e13aeeb6e6d93

2025-11-11 18:16:10 UTC

Fuck. ICE.
"An Illinois man said his US citizen family – including his one-year-old daughter – were pepper-sprayed in their car by federal immigration agents during a shopping trip in a Chicago suburb."
A masked agent in a pickup truck going the opposite direction pepper sprayed an entire family, presumably for driving while brown.
Despite the video evidence, DHS is denying the event even occurred.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/11/ice-agents-pepper-spray-man-baby-daughter
#USPol #ICE #FuckICE

2025-11-06 11:31:29 UTC

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Largely agree with @npub1gg4…euuk. There are s few narrow applications of AI that are useful and profitable, but that's not what's driving the hype train.
Studies are showing that 90-95% of companies that push AI lose money on it, and that workers who use it don't benefit nearly as much as they expect/think. And the whole holy grail of general AI that these companies are burning through cash, and the planet, for is a technology that will always be 'just two years away', probably.

2025-10-20 22:06:17 UTC

The more one learns about US history, the more clearly one sees that this is who we've always been. Trump and the MAGA movement are just the most recent outbreak of a disease that's plagued us from day 1.
I truly hope we make it through this iteration and, when we do, we (finally) demonstrate the resolve and fortitude to root out the underlying racism, sexism, xenophobia, and many other ills that allow authoritarianism to sprout over and over again.
#USPol #FuckFascism
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/408/732/121/301/824/original/cfdb37b481482328.png

2025-10-20 19:55:09 UTC

#AI perfectly encapsulates #colonialism. Massive costs are imposed on the most vulnerable in order to siphon wealth upward, and it's a blight on the world.
"On top of the exorbitant energy cost fueling a return to industrial-era levels of pollution, AI is also propped up by a massive global sweatshop operation, where low-wage workers in underdeveloped countries are tasked with doing the hidden intellectual labor that makes the tech useful."
https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-industry-traumatizing-contractors
#economics #technology

2025-10-19 00:17:23 UTC

"Law enforcement agencies [including #ICE] will soon have easier access to footage captured by Amazon’s Ring smart cameras. In a partnership announced this week, Amazon will allow approximately 5,000 local law enforcement agencies to request access to Ring camera footage via surveillance platforms from Flock Safety."
#FuckAmazon #SurvellianceCapitalism
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/10/ring-cameras-are-about-to-get-increasingly-chummy-with-law-enforcement/

2025-10-06 13:27:12 UTC

Uber and Lyft drivers in California win the right to unionize
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/04/business/california-uber-lyft-union-bill
#UnionStrong #Solidarity #Economica

2025-09-27 16:33:04 UTC

Trump says he is authorizing military to use ‘Full Force’ in Portland
"At the request of Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, I am directing Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, to provide all necessary Troops to protect War ravaged Portland, and any of our ICE Facilities under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists." - Dictator Trump
And, yes, "full force" includes live rounds with intent to kill. He's, even more blatantly, declared war on us.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/27/donald-trump-portland-troops-00583380

2025-09-26 16:06:32 UTC

I'm starting to think it was never about "criminals"...
Immigrants with no criminal record now largest group in Ice detention
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/26/immigrants-criminal-record-ice-detention
#USPol

2025-09-25 12:23:23 UTC

Georgia is the only state with work requirements for low-income residents to access Medicaid benefits. They say they are a model the rest of the US should follow.
They spend twice as much on administrative costs as on healthcare.
Eligibility requirements for social safety nets are incredibly inefficient and prevent many who would benefit and are eligible for benefits from receiving benefits.
The cruelty is the point.
#USPol
https://www.propublica.org/article/georgia-pathways-medicaid-work-requirement-gao-report

2025-09-23 22:06:34 UTC

- reply

You are absolutely right. The number of reported deaths is larger than it's ever been, but that is almost certainly a dramatic undercounting of the deaths.

2025-09-23 19:06:07 UTC

Anyone shocked to learn we have had more deaths in immigration detention facilities in the first six months of any year on record?
The only thing I'm surprised about is that number is, thankfully, so low. Though 10 people in the first 6 months and 15 total since the start of Trump 2.0 is far beyond acceptable.
#USPol
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/23/nx-s1-5549411/ossoff-warnock-noem-immigration-detention-death

2025-09-21 17:22:29 UTC

California says NO MASKS for ICE
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8rrprv90xo
and shipped shields schools and clinics from their raids.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/20/ca-immigration-bill-signing-00574378
Not a bad few days, CA. Keep it up.
#MeltICE #USPol

2025-09-18 17:36:41 UTC

- reply

https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/226/500/991/024/192/original/a92f4068d0603869.jpg

2025-09-18 15:19:50 UTC

- reply

I'm also feeling the general strike is our best bet, at this point.
How to make that happen though it's beyond me...
@npub1m8z…r72s

2025-09-18 15:09:21 UTC

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Both of y'all are saying things that are very true. I'm just hoping this is a big enough shock that it forces them to reevaluate.
Because this isn't what they want, even if it's packaged in familiar wrapping.

2025-09-18 15:06:14 UTC

- reply

It does sound an awfully lot like that..

2025-09-18 13:18:43 UTC

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I'm really, really hoping the nice grandparents who voted for Trump because they think Democrats are communists - a word they can't define beyond knowing it's "bad" and "like China" and "opposite of freedom" - wake up to how Trump is literally ushering in everything they feared.
I know this group exists. These are my in-laws. I don't excuse their ignorance, but recognize how easy they are to manipulate into thinking such trash.
I hope this kind of thing wakes them up.

2025-09-18 12:28:19 UTC

- reply

Fascists are perpetually insecure, but that's part of what makes them so scary.
Their basic dogma is that you can and should use power to achieve your end, that might makes right. And they think everyone else follows this playbook and are just waiting to take power to opress them in turn.
So they will, in their fear, preemptively and viscously lash out, which I find terrifying. I find this terrifying and I'm far from The most vulnerable nor near the top of their hit list.

2025-09-18 12:18:32 UTC

They are saying the quiet part out loud. They are fucking screaming it.
This isn't just some random pot stirrer, Loomer has the president's ear.
Listen to them. Believe then. Act accordingly.
#USPol #FuckFascism
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/225/246/586/803/055/original/a4ad4be2771f88eb.png

2025-09-17 12:30:21 UTC

Centrists be like: voting is the only path to change; protesting is, at best, infective and often harmful to the movement.
Nepalis be like: hold our Tongba while we take down our corrupt government in 48 hours.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg9n760gddo
#Politics

2025-09-13 13:05:16 UTC

It is not inconsistent to oppose stochastic terrorism and yet be thankful in the rare moments when the dice come up in your favor and it takes out someone vile.
This holds particularly true when the slain actively promoted this kind of violence. In a similar vein to how the to fallacious 'paradox of intolerance' is solved, anyone who makes it their purpose to stoke violence forfeits the civilized norms we deserve in society.
#CharlieKirk #USPol

2025-09-12 13:46:13 UTC

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I have great hopes we can turn their weapons and the hatred they have stoked against them as well. It's what they rightfully deserve.
There certainly is fuel a plenty that they have helped create to build their pyres with...

2025-09-12 13:44:07 UTC

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Haha I totally missed the mockery there, but maybe that's because I'm just waking up.
Carry on!

2025-09-12 13:37:13 UTC

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Hmmm, I have mixed feelings about the term "globalist elites" even though it is completely accurate.
It sounds almost identical to the terms used by the conspiratorial, antisemitic right to refer to the (mythical) Jewish cabal that runs the world.
I'm just not sure that's a massaging battle that's worth getting into and it could turn folks off who only associate that language with racist conspiracies. (Then again, maybe I'm an outlier who's read too much about them.)

2025-09-12 12:50:49 UTC

I would say that we really do make it hard on ourselves, but each and every point here can be traced back to corporate lobbying for the rich and powerful. They make it hard for us to do the right thing, and profit every step of the way.
#USPol #economics
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/191/380/462/075/611/original/17d6f0ecd090c363.jpg

2025-09-08 21:28:55 UTC

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😅😂🥲

2025-09-07 02:13:29 UTC

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I can't even imagine the impact that would have emotionally. Like, I have read about hierarchy of needs and how foundational shelter is. But that's very different from understanding the true impact of having that locked door that is so easy for me to take for granted.
❤️‍🩹

2025-09-06 18:55:28 UTC

Dear fellow USAians,
Don't brush the rhetoric off as bombastic or a joke or pandering to his base. Trump has declared war on those who hold different political views. He has declared war on us.
It's past time we viewed ourselves as an occupied nation and acted accordingly.
We are occupied by a vastly suppior force, so I am not suggesting open confrontation. But we cannot act as if this is normal, like democracy is functioning.
Sincerely,
A scared left-of-center citizen.
#USPol

2025-09-05 19:52:50 UTC

You may be shocked to learn that providing people housing is a great way to fight issues surrounding the unhoused. In Denver, the number of encampments of more than 20 people dropped 98% thanks largely* to the new initiative.
"They have a door that they can lock. They have air conditioner in the summer, heaters in the winter. They have a place where they can receive their mail," Chandler said. "Really, an opportunity to start rebuilding their lives."
#Housing #Politics
https://www.denver7.com/news/front-range/denver/all-in-mile-high-initiative-reduced-large-homeless-encampments-by-98-third-party-evaluation-shows

2025-09-04 19:58:48 UTC

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You should probably read up on the labor movement and how military and police were used to (probably legally) violently surpress people. The laws we take for granted followed after people faught and bled for the rights we take for granted today.
Also reflect on how the civil rights movement isn't known for its 'vote a little harder' campaign.
Laws most often codify the progres we've won. At the very, it's silly to say voting is the only viable path.
@npub1pcn…wald @npub1gqy…63at

2025-09-02 14:41:39 UTC

Freya is upset the US has come to this, but the graffiti rings true. Time to smash #ICE and the other facets of #fascism that rear their ugly heads.
#USPol #StreetArt
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/135/192/844/018/297/original/fcc0d702a9ba318c.jpg

2025-08-23 22:27:54 UTC

Luna got a new toy for #caturday. It was the fastest she's taken to a new toy, and we are now a little terrified to walk by her in it.
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/115/080/425/220/002/586/original/21f47b94df38eb67.jpg

2025-08-22 15:13:08 UTC

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Personally, I'll take the small glimmers of hope where I can get them.
It would be foolish to think that Trump dying would magically fix everything, but I agree it would be a time when we have a stronger position. The cult of personalities surrounding authoritarians is powerful and the coalition behind Trump largely don't agree on much.
I don't think we need to wait for Trump to die to start fracturing them though.
@npub1z3l…txvc @npub16qx…7xsd @npub1t4g…z58f

2025-08-22 12:59:56 UTC

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A fact people need to come to terms with fast.
@npub1z3l…txvc

2025-08-21 23:58:04 UTC

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I fully agree. I've been working on building local connections such as with the unions near me. It'll be nice to have networks to resist and rebuild when the shit fully hits the fan.

2025-08-21 19:47:49 UTC

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3. Plan for the worst. Assume that in four years Trump (or successor) is in office and the legislature and courts are impotent. Do you escape? Resist? Revolt? What do you need to make that effective? Now is the time to get them in place. Before it's too late.
We may be passed the point of no return. Judges and opposition leaders are being arrested for resisting unconstitutional policies. The media and courts are bought by billionaires. The military is patrolling the streets of the capitol.
3/3

2025-08-21 19:47:34 UTC

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A fascism preparedness plan should look something like:
1. Vote blue up and down the ballot, and convince others to do so too. The best-case is preempting fascism from fully taking hold, and that means electing the viable opposition party regardless of how flawed you find them.
2. Recognize that point 1 is very likely insufficient. To my knowledge, there has never been the case of voting out authoritarians once they reach the stage of concentration camps and military in the streets.
2/3

2025-08-21 19:47:01 UTC

Disaster plans save lives.
If you live in an area prone to tornadoes or hurricanes or fires, you probably have a plan of where to go and materials ready in case of emergency.
It's passed time everyone in the US had a preparedness plan for fascism for those same reasons.
#USPol
1/3

2025-08-19 13:48:34 UTC

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The amount of powerful Christians trying to bring about the end times via Israeli foreign policy (and now I guess we can add judicial decisions to the mix) is too damn high.
@npub1zxn…0kqm

2025-08-07 16:57:11 UTC

Preemptively calling it: the data will show the US is not experiencing nor contributing to #ClimateChange as much after the Trump admin updates the previously published National Climate Assessment reports that it took off the government website recently.
The US is quickly approaching the authoritarian level of China where you can't trust a single damned statistic or report because they will all be skewed towards Dear Leader's wants and whims.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/climate/wright-national-climate-assessments-updating
#USPol

2025-08-04 18:07:10 UTC

The US economy is being propped up by a single sector and its massive externalities, which isn't good.
"AI and its blood and oxygen — chips, data, energy — are producing an economic super-stimulant strong enough to prop up the entire country."
"GDP is only growing because of AI [capital expenditure]."
In all likelihood it's only a matter of time before the largest bubble in history bursts, and takes down the global economy with it.
#economics #AI
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/04/ai-investment-us-economy-capex

2025-08-02 13:30:54 UTC

Axios is not perfect, but they haven't completely rolled over to Trump's regime.
"Trump's authoritarian streak"
"[A]pply any of these five storylines from the past week to a foreign leader — or even a past U.S. president — and it reads like an authoritarian playbook."
- firing BLS commissioner for bad jobs report
- accusing Obama of treason
- extorting universities
- torturing migrants
- attempting to control central bank and interest rates
All. This. Week.
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/02/trump-authoritarian-jobs-report-bls-economy
#USPol

2025-08-01 19:29:15 UTC

Powerful cartoon by Ann Telnaes : anntelnaes.substack.com
#Palestine #Politics
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/114/955/145/179/216/797/original/1f0f307a62c91585.jpg

2025-07-30 20:46:19 UTC

Anyone want a free Trump poster? Just join ICE!
DHS' new ICE recruitment strategy: 50K signing bonuses, student loan forgiveness and Trump posters
These perks are part of a move to hire 10,000 new Brownshirts funded by the Bug Ugly Bill. Good times.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/ice-recruitment-donald-trump-00484885
#USPol #MeltICE

2025-07-28 18:13:31 UTC

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I don't fully buy into the idea that clinging to the abusive tribe is the only option in the race relation context. I think it is a much stronger claim in family/gender dynamics.
That said, I agree there are similarities and your point is valid to consider to give a deeper insight into what is going on. All of this is mental calculous that leads to supporting a detrimental status quo. We may just disagree, a bit, on the weights these parts take on.

2025-07-28 17:35:44 UTC

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I think talking about patriarchy complicates the situation, and I very much agree with your point.
I was more considering race relations, particularly in the US context. Poor white folk have continually worked against their (absolute) best interest in order to remain socially advantagesd relative to Black and Brown (what should be thought of as, but groups often deny are) peers.

2025-07-28 16:00:40 UTC

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From what I've seen, becoming the victims isn't enough. So long as others are made even worse, people will accept harming themselves.
It is relative wellbeing that mattress here more than absolute levels. Which is why a tanking economy won't shock these folk out of their thought process, as those below them will be having it even worse.
That's my take on it, at least.

2025-07-28 14:44:22 UTC

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Spot on. And, somehow, we need to convince folks on the right that this is not a choice any of us get to make. If we are not already a powerful elite, slavery is our outcome, if the billionaires get their way.

2025-07-28 11:35:17 UTC

ICE is lying it's ass off bringing false accusations against protestors. It's not "embarrassing", it's fucking fascism.
"Justice department drops cases against LA protesters after officers caught making false claims
Revealed: records show border patrol gave inaccurate testimony about people it jailed. Prosecutors now face ‘embarrassing’ dismissals"
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/28/doj-la-protesters-false-claims
#USPol #MeltICE

2025-07-27 19:31:35 UTC

This is the saddest surprise economic indicator I've seen showing the US is headed for a recession.
"In recent months, animal rescues and shelters across the country are reporting sharp increases in animals being surrendered, with several of those organizations telling CNN that financial hardship was at the root of those owners’ decisions."
Increases in pet-surrenders have preceded other recent downturns as more folk can't afford to feed their pets.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/27/economy/us-pet-surrenders-shelters-economy
#economics #USPol

2025-07-27 19:21:49 UTC

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Furdalism is back in style, unfortunately.

2025-07-22 20:22:38 UTC

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You are not wrong. I would love to see journalists use more accurate language for it, like "abduct".
@npub174q…ckk8

2025-07-17 18:53:19 UTC

The data are clear, ICE isn't going after criminals.
"People without criminal charges or convictions made up an average of 47% of daily ICE arrests in early June, up from about 21% in early May, before the quota increase."
"And it happened just after the Trump administration told ICE to arrest at least 3,000 people daily, up from 1,000."
Https://www.axios.com/2025/07/17/trump-ice-raids-arrests-immigration
#USPol #MeltICE

2025-07-06 22:54:10 UTC

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Agreed. Killer title. And a hard-hitting piece.
It is amazing just how open they are being about all this, and depressing how many people are cheering loudly for it at.

2025-07-06 22:20:31 UTC

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But they first need a season of desperation to get more people on board with slave labor. "Slavery" has an unpleasant ring to many ears, for some reason.
/Mostly not sarcastic, sadly.

2025-07-06 00:37:58 UTC

"Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told the European Union’s top diplomat that Beijing can’t accept Russia losing its war against Ukraine as this could allow the United States to turn its full attention to China, an official briefed on the talks said, contradicting Beijing’s public position of neutrality in the conflict."
For fuck's sake. Get with the picture China! The US cares more about oppressing its citizens than it does about y'all, much less Ukraine...
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/europe/china-ukraine-eu-war-intl
#Politics

2025-07-05 19:12:27 UTC

"Today, 53 countries are considered more free than the U.S. as the erosion of its democratic institutions have contributed to its declining score."
US scores an 84/100 for FREEDOM!, and is falling fast.
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/the-state-of-freedom-around-the-world-in-2025/
#USPol

2025-06-30 13:16:29 UTC

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Another big difference I'd point out is that we are allowed, and encouraged, to call out the atrocities of Russia and Iran and every other comparable case I can think of.
It is *only* in the case of Israel, it seems, where opposing the atrocities committed faces significant pushback - to the point of criminalization - from our governments.
This is another reason why it could make sense to individually call out the IDF.
@npub1ges…8kzg @npub1wl5…vs4x

2025-06-30 13:06:35 UTC

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I can appreciate your stance on the issue. It is certainly an area that risks moving in very bad directions, very fast.
The part I'm pushing back on is your response to Dan. I don't think it was a fair given his point is valid.
More generally though, the more different the groups being compared are (IDF and Russia, for instance) the less your argument holds. If the IDF is the most egregious case, it could make sense to call them out individually.
@npub1ges…8kzg @npub1wl5…vs4x

2025-06-30 12:33:06 UTC

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Dan doesn't seem to be comparing the suffering of two groups, he's pointing out a power difference. A power difference that is at the root of the problem.
It's a large factor that makes what the IDF is doing a genocide, rather than a war (not that the two are necessarily mutually exclusive).
@npub1ges…8kzg @npub1wl5…vs4x

2025-06-28 17:02:23 UTC

I'm so sick of the recurring headlines saying 'the GOP may regret giving the President these new powers when Democrats retake the office'.
The plan is to prevent Dems from ever regaining power by dismantling the guardrails of democracy. Giving the executive branch unprecedented power is part of the plan. They aren't being subtle about any of this.
But I don't know why I expect better from billionaire-owned mainstream news...
#USPol

2025-06-26 08:16:22 UTC

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Yup. It's only meaning is to signal an outgroup. A very scary outgroup that's trying to takeover the world and ruin your kids.

2025-06-25 17:45:31 UTC

There are many problems with the academic publishing industry. Nature being "woke" isn't one of them.
"No more taxpayer money for woke publishers!" Trump 'Truths' as his administration "terminated millions worth of funding for Springer Nature, a German-owned scientific publishing giant that has long received payments for subscriptions from National Institutes of Health and other agencies."
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/25/trump-cuts-contracts-scientific-publisher
@npub1vuz…esa4 #HigherEd

2025-06-23 21:18:20 UTC

"Scientists once hoarded pre-nuclear steel; now we’re hoarding pre-AI content"
I really like this comparison. #AI really is like nuclear radiation for information, and the effects are just as global. Also, both could result in massive, perhaps existential if any of the hype from AI CEOs is to be believed, human devistation if things spiral out of control.
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/06/why-one-man-is-archiving-human-made-content-from-before-the-ai-explosion/

2025-06-22 22:05:33 UTC

A tale of two histories.
#USPol #History
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/114/729/231/394/268/420/original/9ede76a540fb71e5.png
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/114/729/275/594/523/196/original/68714b1c1fb65b0d.png

2025-06-19 23:00:48 UTC

Apparently we are at the stage of authoritarianism that we are not letting foreign dignitaries with the 'wrong' views enter the country. Cool cool cool.
"French Lawmaker Says He Was Denied Entry Into the United States
Pouria Amirshahi, a leftist member of Parliament, hopes that the decision will be reversed so that he can travel to meet lawmakers to understand life under President Trump."
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/19/world/europe/france-lawmaker-denied-visa-us-trump-amirshahi.html?unlocked_article_code=1.QE8.pdRV.Hu3IUQuJjeSI&smid=url-share&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiospm&stream=top
(Gift link)
#USPol

2025-06-18 20:54:36 UTC

As ChatGPT Linked to Mental Health Breakdowns, Mattel Announces Plans to Incorporate It Into Children's Toys
"Leveraging this incredible technology is going to allow us to really reimagine the future of play."
... This is some truly dystopic shit. The future of play should probably look a lot like how we've previously played, maybe with a new bell or whistle or two. Play does not need improvement. Play does not need to be optimized. Play definitely does not need #AI.
https://futurism.com/mattel-announces-openai

2025-06-12 20:25:32 UTC

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Judges and senators are being arrested.
There is growing evidence that #Harris may have won the 2024 election: https://substack.com/inbox/post/165658733.
Our neighbors are being disappeared by masked men with orders from the government.
If you are waiting for the next election to get us out of this mess, I question your interpretation and understanding of the fascist shit we find ourselves in today.
Now is the time to hit the streets. #NoKings is a great, peaceful, place to start.
#USPol #TastesLikeFascism

2025-06-10 21:54:57 UTC

Don't put all your eggs in one basket, especially if there is potential to rig the basket and steal all your eggs.
Whether voting has historically been the best path to progress is moot. It's never been the only effective strategy for change, and there is good reason to fear voting alone cannot save us from the #fascism taking root.
Yes, everyone should vote for the best viable option. But everyone should also be fighting in other ways.
https://apnews.com/article/trump-executive-order-elections-democrats-states-8a329645f15e161103709409ecf3e746
https://dailyboulder.com/report-voting-machines-were-altered-before-the-2024-election-did-kamala-harris-actually-win
#USPol

2025-06-08 19:51:03 UTC

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That's a solid take.
If a class war is coming (if not already begun, maybe even ongoing for generations) it would be really nice to have the cops and military, or a sizable percentage of them, on our side.
The only way to do this is to treat those in uniform - even if it's a uniform of institutions we vehemently oppose - as people who have a chance at redeeming themselves.

2025-06-08 01:04:38 UTC

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* Some may disagree with the term "concentration camp" because the Nazis shifted the Overton window so far that many associate them with "death camps" but this is not the case.
The US is concentrating an ethnic minority into inhumane prisons for political purposes, which falls squarely into the definition of concentration camp.
Don't be, in any way, aligning yourself against folks fighting against those putting our neighbors in concentration camps. Please.
#USPol

2025-06-08 01:01:40 UTC

If anyone is considering blaming those in LA for confronting ICE for the rise in violence, I strongly recommend reconsidering your position.
This *is* the plan. It has always been the plan to rachet up ICE violence until that are finally confronted.
Now is the time to support those on the front lines resisting the government troops who are, quite literally, rounding up folks and sending them to concentration camps*.
#USPol #FightFascism

2025-06-06 15:10:36 UTC

#AI companies claim it is impossible to create their tools without training on copyrighted material, and that it's impractical to ask for permission every time.
This is an explicit admission of a debt to society, a debt all companies and people have implicitly, to varying degrees. Grnerative AI cannot exist without us.
Recognizing, and emphasizing, this is a start to discussing how to fairly and efficiently distribute the gains produced. They are not entitled to all the profits.
#economics

2025-06-05 03:02:02 UTC

Musk attacking Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" is a wonderful reminder that those threatening our democracy are not nearly as monolithic and powerful as they sometimes seem.
We are up against a few (often incompetent) egomaniacs standing on each others shoulders wearing a fascist trench coat, and each is trying to be the head.
They are so very beatable. Keep up hope, and keep fighting.
#USPol

2025-06-04 03:40:52 UTC

Another Republican admitting they didn't even bother to read and understand the policy they are voting on.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is threatening to vote no on Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill" if the Senate doesn't remove the provision preventing states from legislating #AI.
“Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years." -MTG
https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5330705-greene-opposes-ai-regulation-provision/
#USPol

2025-06-01 15:35:23 UTC

What happens when 90% of a country moves to a 4-day workweek with no reduction in pay? Good things happen.
"Icelandic reports show that productivity has remained stable, and even increased in some sectors. One of the keys to this success lies in improving the mental health of workers, a crucial aspect highlighted by Generation Z. The reduction in stress, combined with a better work-life balance, has had a significant positive impact on employee well-being."
https://farmingdale-observer.com/2025/05/31/iceland-approved-the-4-day-workweek-in-2019-nearly-6-years-later-all-the-predictions-made-by-generation-z-have-come-true/
#economics

2025-05-29 11:21:28 UTC

#Tesla is experiencing what #ElbowsUp means as sales drop to the point it has to stop importing cars to Quebec. Great work #Canada! 🇨🇦
"Tesla’s sales have fallen 87% in Quebec in the first quarter 2025 compared to the same period last year.
The critical Canadian market has been wiped out, and Tesla is no longer importing new vehicles.
Quebec is the leading EV market in Canada, with the highest adoption rate of new electric vehicles."
https://electrek.co/2025/05/28/teslas-sales-fall-quebec-market-gets-wiped-out/
#TeslaTakedown

2025-05-20 15:01:16 UTC

Stock prices are far from everything, but #Tesla stock appears to be recovering and is all up almost 100% in the past year, which is far from the #TeslaTakedown we have been fighting for.
There are still strong signs that this stick price is far from reflecting the damage to the brand - from returns, to reduced sales, to vocal public outcry - but it also wouldn't be a bad time to redouble our efforts to tank this company.
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/114/540/736/987/585/414/original/9b3648b5520a9bf6.png