Arieh Kovler
@ariehkovler.com
Writer, political analyst, comms consultant. UK, Israeli, US. Politics, current affairs and technology. arieh@ariehkovler.com. https://linktr.ee/ariehkovler
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
the suggestion that the libertarian movement has always been anti trump is infuriating, but also a sign that people may have a sense of which way the wind is blowing
February 9, 2026 at 4:03 PM
the suggestion that the libertarian movement has always been anti trump is infuriating, but also a sign that people may have a sense of which way the wind is blowing
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
Trump spoke at the fucking Libertarian Party Convention in 2024!
i am not going to be tut-tutted by an overwhelming majority of libertarians who have spent the entire trump era sitting on their hands, tacitly approving, or enthusiastically approving virtually everything trump has done
February 9, 2026 at 4:07 PM
Trump spoke at the fucking Libertarian Party Convention in 2024!
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
Exactly, this is why so few of them live to four years, obv.
February 9, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Exactly, this is why so few of them live to four years, obv.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
A typical sparrow lives three years. So that's a million times bigger by the third spring?
Just learned that the testicles of sparrows increase in size by over 100 times every spring. I hope everyone has a nice day.
February 9, 2026 at 12:09 PM
A typical sparrow lives three years. So that's a million times bigger by the third spring?
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
Yup. You can say Starmer isn't good at politics (true) but Sarwar and Burnham's naked opportunism and ambition are also good examples of not doing politics well.
I do think that the Anas Sarwar press conference was just too nakedly cynical to be effective, frankly.
February 9, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Yup. You can say Starmer isn't good at politics (true) but Sarwar and Burnham's naked opportunism and ambition are also good examples of not doing politics well.
Starmer probably shouldn't lead Labour into the next election, but it feels a bit too early to make a change.
February 9, 2026 at 1:52 PM
Starmer probably shouldn't lead Labour into the next election, but it feels a bit too early to make a change.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
• A doc sued for prescribing a debunked autism therapy
• A man who says vaccines are “poisoning children”
• A woman boosting autism "treatments" using stem cells from rabbits
This is not a QAnon conference line-up, it is the people now guiding US autism research
www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr...
• A man who says vaccines are “poisoning children”
• A woman boosting autism "treatments" using stem cells from rabbits
This is not a QAnon conference line-up, it is the people now guiding US autism research
www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr...
RFK Jr.’s Picks for a Key Autism Panel Include Advocates for Bizarre Theories
Among those Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently named to a federal autism committee are people who tout dangerous treatments and say vaccine manufacturers are “poisoning children.”
www.wired.com
February 9, 2026 at 1:26 PM
• A doc sued for prescribing a debunked autism therapy
• A man who says vaccines are “poisoning children”
• A woman boosting autism "treatments" using stem cells from rabbits
This is not a QAnon conference line-up, it is the people now guiding US autism research
www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr...
• A man who says vaccines are “poisoning children”
• A woman boosting autism "treatments" using stem cells from rabbits
This is not a QAnon conference line-up, it is the people now guiding US autism research
www.wired.com/story/rfk-jr...
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
5/ “I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals…going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…”
From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days
From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days
February 9, 2026 at 12:34 PM
5/ “I have already spent more than 60 days waking up eating the same repetitive meals…going to the doctor and that the only thing they tell you is to drink more water and the worst thing is that it seems like the water is what makes people sick here…”
From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days
From 12-year-old Ender, detained 60+ days
When I tell my American friends that I'd be scared to travel to the US right now, this is the kind of thing I'm thinking of.
Kerryman who is married, living and working legally in the United States for >20 years has been incarcerated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) since September 2025.
Profoundly disturbing report by Karlin Lillington @klillington.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...
Profoundly disturbing report by Karlin Lillington @klillington.bsky.social
www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...
‘Absolute hell’: Irish man with valid US work permit held by Ice since September
Seamus Culleton has been in a detention facility in Texas for nearly five months despite having no criminal record
www.irishtimes.com
February 9, 2026 at 12:29 PM
When I tell my American friends that I'd be scared to travel to the US right now, this is the kind of thing I'm thinking of.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
This is what we’re doing to people. We are the bad guys.
February 9, 2026 at 11:48 AM
This is what we’re doing to people. We are the bad guys.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
Much the same as with Karen Pierce and the US ambo appointment, Starmer actually had someone who could have been director of comms, Steph Driver, who gave years of hard work and professionalism in opposition but then got a succession of people promoted over her for no apparent reason
February 9, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Much the same as with Karen Pierce and the US ambo appointment, Starmer actually had someone who could have been director of comms, Steph Driver, who gave years of hard work and professionalism in opposition but then got a succession of people promoted over her for no apparent reason
A typical sparrow lives three years. So that's a million times bigger by the third spring?
Just learned that the testicles of sparrows increase in size by over 100 times every spring. I hope everyone has a nice day.
February 9, 2026 at 12:09 PM
A typical sparrow lives three years. So that's a million times bigger by the third spring?
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
1983 - My first spell checker using Multimate on a PC XT.
I was sure it was broken because it flagged "foward," as in "Please foward at your earliest convenience."
"Honey, how is foward spelled?" Boy did I get dunked on.
I was sure it was broken because it flagged "foward," as in "Please foward at your earliest convenience."
"Honey, how is foward spelled?" Boy did I get dunked on.
February 9, 2026 at 10:33 AM
1983 - My first spell checker using Multimate on a PC XT.
I was sure it was broken because it flagged "foward," as in "Please foward at your earliest convenience."
"Honey, how is foward spelled?" Boy did I get dunked on.
I was sure it was broken because it flagged "foward," as in "Please foward at your earliest convenience."
"Honey, how is foward spelled?" Boy did I get dunked on.
My entire life I have read, pronounced and written it "emnity" until today.
ENMITY.
Dammit.
(thanks @criticalrole.bsky.social @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social @matthewmercer.bsky.social @aabria.bsky.social @alexanderward.bsky.social)
ENMITY.
Dammit.
(thanks @criticalrole.bsky.social @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social @matthewmercer.bsky.social @aabria.bsky.social @alexanderward.bsky.social)
February 9, 2026 at 10:12 AM
My entire life I have read, pronounced and written it "emnity" until today.
ENMITY.
Dammit.
(thanks @criticalrole.bsky.social @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social @matthewmercer.bsky.social @aabria.bsky.social @alexanderward.bsky.social)
ENMITY.
Dammit.
(thanks @criticalrole.bsky.social @brennanleemulligan.bsky.social @matthewmercer.bsky.social @aabria.bsky.social @alexanderward.bsky.social)
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
It's weird that they're both posting as if they don't live in puerto rico, where they both moved to avoid paying taxes
February 9, 2026 at 4:49 AM
It's weird that they're both posting as if they don't live in puerto rico, where they both moved to avoid paying taxes
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
More than half the drugs on the TrumpRx site have a cheaper generic version on the market.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
How TrumpRx drug prices compare to generic alternatives
Patients could save more buying non-branded copycat drugs, even if they don't have insurance.
www.axios.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:00 PM
More than half the drugs on the TrumpRx site have a cheaper generic version on the market.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Pristiq, an antidepressant, is available with a TrumpRx coupon for ~$200 for a 30-day supply.
A generic version is on GoodRx for less than $30 and Mark Cuban's CostPlusDrugs for $16.65.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
good of example of the way that Gen Ai harms art is not through really replacing capital a Art but by replacing human slop with robo slop, and the dirty secret is that slop pays the bills and subsidizes actually good art.
fuck this lady, fuck the nyt reporter, fuck all of this. fuck amazon for introducing the KU page read model that makes this possible, fuck our tech overlords.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/b...
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/08/b...
The New Fabio Is Claude
www.nytimes.com
February 8, 2026 at 6:19 PM
good of example of the way that Gen Ai harms art is not through really replacing capital a Art but by replacing human slop with robo slop, and the dirty secret is that slop pays the bills and subsidizes actually good art.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
I did a voice search on Apple TV for "Muppets," and Siri thought I was insulting her and replied "I won't respond to that." I can't believe I'm not making this up.
February 8, 2026 at 6:56 PM
I did a voice search on Apple TV for "Muppets," and Siri thought I was insulting her and replied "I won't respond to that." I can't believe I'm not making this up.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
The Home Office now describes asylum seekers as "illegal immigrants [living in hotels]" with no reference to the reason that these people are in government-funded accommodation is that this government has taken & will process the asylum claim from them in 98-99% of cases of unauthorised entry.
February 8, 2026 at 12:50 PM
The Home Office now describes asylum seekers as "illegal immigrants [living in hotels]" with no reference to the reason that these people are in government-funded accommodation is that this government has taken & will process the asylum claim from them in 98-99% of cases of unauthorised entry.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
For context, Chicago was for more violent for its duration than Minnesota is right now, and I think national media cared for about 18 hours bc it was a slow day. It’s not feasible to have people driving around for 12 hours a day and only getting a protester or two arrested once a week.
February 8, 2026 at 6:08 PM
For context, Chicago was for more violent for its duration than Minnesota is right now, and I think national media cared for about 18 hours bc it was a slow day. It’s not feasible to have people driving around for 12 hours a day and only getting a protester or two arrested once a week.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
I didn’t see immigration related activity all week, but I did get told filming ICE changing their own flat tire is impeding a federal investigation.
February 8, 2026 at 5:50 PM
I didn’t see immigration related activity all week, but I did get told filming ICE changing their own flat tire is impeding a federal investigation.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
wrt to some of the replies to this post, part of why the media has “moved on” is because it has become extraordinarily difficult to document ICE activity on the ground, outside of them arresting citizens.
A desperate plea sent to me by a Minneapolis resident who's been on the front lines since the beginning of the ICE occupation:
February 8, 2026 at 5:49 PM
wrt to some of the replies to this post, part of why the media has “moved on” is because it has become extraordinarily difficult to document ICE activity on the ground, outside of them arresting citizens.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
Five years ago I caught my dumbest ban
February 8, 2026 at 5:27 PM
Five years ago I caught my dumbest ban
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
What *about* that 5-year-old US citizen? Finish the sentence, Congressman. What does that hypothetical child have to do with Liam Ramos? Spell it out. Don’t just say “but what about our kids” and stop there. Explain your logic.
Gonzales on Liam Ramos and his family: "They're not gonna qualify for asylum. So what do you do with all the people that go through the process and do not qualify for asylum? You deport them. I understand that 5-year-old and it breaks my heart. I also think, what about that 5-year-old US citizen?"
February 8, 2026 at 4:30 PM
What *about* that 5-year-old US citizen? Finish the sentence, Congressman. What does that hypothetical child have to do with Liam Ramos? Spell it out. Don’t just say “but what about our kids” and stop there. Explain your logic.
Reposted by Arieh Kovler
What Hess said:
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
February 8, 2026 at 3:48 PM
What Hess said:
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3
“There’s obviously a lot going on that I’m not the biggest fan of, and I think a lot of people aren’t. … Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.”
Trump, the actual president, has insulted Dems repeatedly.
wapo.st/46eFns3