elia ayoub
@ayoub.bsky.social
Writer, Journalist, Historian, Podcaster. Authoritarianism, hauntology, alternative futures. Eng/Fr/Esp/It/ع
In Brighton, from Lebanon.
I do @thefirethesetimes.com and give online classes. Newsletter: hauntologies.net
In Brighton, from Lebanon.
I do @thefirethesetimes.com and give online classes. Newsletter: hauntologies.net
Pinned
An elder is someone who is older than olive trees
Or: what breaks me
www.hauntologies.net
"An elder is someone who is older than olive trees" is about asking why does the Israeli state harm olive trees, and reflecting on how I came to loathe state borders as someone who grew up in Lebanon to a Palestinian grandfather -- plus my love of trains.
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
This is from 2014. They were already doing this in 2014.
January 10, 2026 at 2:33 PM
This is from 2014. They were already doing this in 2014.
Reposted by elia ayoub
A masterclass on Lebanese politics and history by one of the most knowledgable and politically principled Lebanese writers I know @ayoub.bsky.social. If you want to learn more about Lebanon reach out nd sign up.
Starting next Saturday! There are a couple more places available as two people have decided to do the next sessions (estimated start date in March)
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
A few words on the upcoming masterclass that I’m giving on Lebanese politics and history open.substack.com/pub/eliaayou...
January 10, 2026 at 12:52 PM
A masterclass on Lebanese politics and history by one of the most knowledgable and politically principled Lebanese writers I know @ayoub.bsky.social. If you want to learn more about Lebanon reach out nd sign up.
Starting next Saturday! There are a couple more places available as two people have decided to do the next sessions (estimated start date in March)
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
A few words on the upcoming masterclass that I’m giving on Lebanese politics and history open.substack.com/pub/eliaayou...
I’m Giving a Masterclass!
Hey everyone.
open.substack.com
January 10, 2026 at 11:45 AM
Starting next Saturday! There are a couple more places available as two people have decided to do the next sessions (estimated start date in March)
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
Contact: ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com
Reposted by elia ayoub
“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”
Uruguay’s Renewable Charge: A Small Nation, A Big Lesson For The World
Uruguay built a power grid that runs 99% on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. Here’s how its bold energy overhaul became a global model.
www.forbes.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:29 AM
“Uruguay did what most nations still call impossible: it built a power grid that runs almost entirely on renewables—at half the cost of fossil fuels. The physicist who led that transformation says the same playbook could work anywhere—if governments have the courage to change the rules.”
Labour is going to evict asylum seekers *and* deprive them of financial assistance.
Labour’s politics is defined by the Far Right. They have no vision of their own.
www.lbc.co.uk/article/evic...
Labour’s politics is defined by the Far Right. They have no vision of their own.
www.lbc.co.uk/article/evic...
Home Office to start evicting asylum seekers from hotels this spring | LBC
The Home Office will aim to to remove accommodation and weekly allowances from some migrants by April
www.lbc.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 8:36 AM
Labour is going to evict asylum seekers *and* deprive them of financial assistance.
Labour’s politics is defined by the Far Right. They have no vision of their own.
www.lbc.co.uk/article/evic...
Labour’s politics is defined by the Far Right. They have no vision of their own.
www.lbc.co.uk/article/evic...
Reposted by elia ayoub
"Why do the Israelis hurt olive trees?"
There's nothing remotely 'complex' about the Palestine/Israel situation. It's straight-up colonialism, land theft, ethnic cleansing, and now genocide of the indigenous inhabitants: the Palestinians.
This powerfully written piece captures the essence.
There's nothing remotely 'complex' about the Palestine/Israel situation. It's straight-up colonialism, land theft, ethnic cleansing, and now genocide of the indigenous inhabitants: the Palestinians.
This powerfully written piece captures the essence.
"An elder is someone who is older than olive trees" is about asking why does the Israeli state harm olive trees, and reflecting on how I came to loathe state borders as someone who grew up in Lebanon to a Palestinian grandfather -- plus my love of trains.
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
An elder is someone who is older than olive trees
Or: what breaks me
www.hauntologies.net
January 9, 2026 at 9:11 AM
"Why do the Israelis hurt olive trees?"
There's nothing remotely 'complex' about the Palestine/Israel situation. It's straight-up colonialism, land theft, ethnic cleansing, and now genocide of the indigenous inhabitants: the Palestinians.
This powerfully written piece captures the essence.
There's nothing remotely 'complex' about the Palestine/Israel situation. It's straight-up colonialism, land theft, ethnic cleansing, and now genocide of the indigenous inhabitants: the Palestinians.
This powerfully written piece captures the essence.
Reposted by elia ayoub
they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.
In the video that the shooter took, which I believe was leaked to be exculpatory, he appears to yell “fucking bitch” after he shoots Renee Good.
January 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.
This is the 2nd time I have to call the UK gov to remind them that they got it wrong in cancelling our “childcare for working parents” (yes that’s what it’s called). This system is designed to pressure exhausted parents for no reason.
And then they’ll complain about low birth rates
And then they’ll complain about low birth rates
January 9, 2026 at 2:12 PM
This is the 2nd time I have to call the UK gov to remind them that they got it wrong in cancelling our “childcare for working parents” (yes that’s what it’s called). This system is designed to pressure exhausted parents for no reason.
And then they’ll complain about low birth rates
And then they’ll complain about low birth rates
Reposted by elia ayoub
No.
Rep. Roger Williams: "People need to quit demonstrating, quit yelling at law enforcement, challenging law enforcement, and begin to get civil."
January 9, 2026 at 2:08 PM
No.
Reposted by elia ayoub
I reached out to more than three dozen X advertisers, xAI investors, politicians, and government agencies about the growing library of sexualized deepfakes generated with Grok—now including Renee Good. I only heard back from four, with three declining to comment.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
Why isn't there a bigger Grok boycott?
Advertisers, politicians, and investors are still all-in on X, despite a sexual abuse crisis.
spitfirenews.com
January 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
I reached out to more than three dozen X advertisers, xAI investors, politicians, and government agencies about the growing library of sexualized deepfakes generated with Grok—now including Renee Good. I only heard back from four, with three declining to comment.
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
spitfirenews.com/p/grok-deepf...
Solidarity with the people of Iran against their authoritarian regime
I read this piece published by Crimethinc about the protest in Iran and that it was so good that I wanted to read it out loud to help boost its reach and make it more accessible. Its honestly a really powerful and important piece.
www.patreon.com/posts/147732...
www.patreon.com/posts/147732...
FTPP 14: Iran: An Uprising Besieged From Within and Without - An Essay from Crimethinc | From The Periphery Media Collective
Get more from From The Periphery Media Collective on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 8, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Solidarity with the people of Iran against their authoritarian regime
I’m sorry but you cannot comment on anything OpenAI-related with anything but well-justified suspicion of anything they do. Altman is a scammer and ChatGPT ‘Health’ will hurt people.
New AI health tools offer the promise of empowering patients and promoting better health outcomes, but health data is some of the most sensitive information people can share and it must be protected.
OpenAI launches ChatGPT Health to connect user medical records, wellness apps
ChatGPT Health is not intended for diagnosis and treatment, OpenAI said.
www.cnbc.com
January 8, 2026 at 5:50 PM
I’m sorry but you cannot comment on anything OpenAI-related with anything but well-justified suspicion of anything they do. Altman is a scammer and ChatGPT ‘Health’ will hurt people.
Reposted by elia ayoub
Reuters:
Internet blackout in Iran
Internet blackout in Iran
January 8, 2026 at 5:31 PM
Reuters:
Internet blackout in Iran
Internet blackout in Iran
Reposted by elia ayoub
New: we've obtained material explaining how an ICE surveillance system, called Webloc, works. Draw shape on a map, see all phones available there, follow them home. All without warrant
“This is a very dangerous tool in the hands of an out-of-control agency.” www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
“This is a very dangerous tool in the hands of an out-of-control agency.” www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Inside ICE’s Tool to Monitor Phones in Entire Neighborhoods
404 Media has obtained material that explains how Tangles and Webloc, two surveillance systems ICE recently purchased, work. Webloc can track phones without a warrant and follow their owners home or t...
www.404media.co
January 8, 2026 at 2:03 PM
New: we've obtained material explaining how an ICE surveillance system, called Webloc, works. Draw shape on a map, see all phones available there, follow them home. All without warrant
“This is a very dangerous tool in the hands of an out-of-control agency.” www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
“This is a very dangerous tool in the hands of an out-of-control agency.” www.404media.co/inside-ices-...
Reposted by elia ayoub
Every day, thousands of women and children are victimized by people on X using the Grok chatbot to generate scantily clad and naked photos of them.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
Elon Musk’s X must be banned
Regulators need to stop cowering before the richest man in the world
disconnect.blog
January 8, 2026 at 5:26 PM
Every day, thousands of women and children are victimized by people on X using the Grok chatbot to generate scantily clad and naked photos of them.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
It’s time for governments to take action. Elon Musk’s X should have been banned long ago. They don’t have an excuse to delay any longer.
It’s not just that MPs underestimate how popular green policies are. It’s also that green policies are actively and aggressively downplayed, smeared etc by this country’s media which prefer to push for the highly polluting AI scam
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘A silent majority’: MPs underestimate support for green policies, study reveals
Exclusive: From solar subsidies to meat taxes, minority rightwing voices appear to drown out the consensus
www.theguardian.com
January 8, 2026 at 3:43 PM
It’s not just that MPs underestimate how popular green policies are. It’s also that green policies are actively and aggressively downplayed, smeared etc by this country’s media which prefer to push for the highly polluting AI scam
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Musk's Grok is producing an unfathomable amount of content showing child abuse, rape and more and it is being targeted at teenagers
One more thing, Musk's Grok app that literally has a "Spicy" feature to turn any image into sex pics and videos, and generate sexualized images and videos of "children" all by itself, is "specifically marketed" to "Teen" audiences on Google Play, even though the feature "within" the app says 18+
January 8, 2026 at 2:55 PM
Musk's Grok is producing an unfathomable amount of content showing child abuse, rape and more and it is being targeted at teenagers
Reposted by elia ayoub
A thread of ICE and CBP sex offenders and credibly accused sex pasts. Content-warning descriptions of abuse
Yuma Sector CBP agent Ramon Marquez, 31, was arrested in May 2025 and has been charged with 15 felonies including 14 counts of sexual conduct with a 16-year-old between Dec 2024 and Apr 2025.
Yuma Sector CBP agent Ramon Marquez, 31, was arrested in May 2025 and has been charged with 15 felonies including 14 counts of sexual conduct with a 16-year-old between Dec 2024 and Apr 2025.
January 8, 2026 at 1:36 AM
A thread of ICE and CBP sex offenders and credibly accused sex pasts. Content-warning descriptions of abuse
Yuma Sector CBP agent Ramon Marquez, 31, was arrested in May 2025 and has been charged with 15 felonies including 14 counts of sexual conduct with a 16-year-old between Dec 2024 and Apr 2025.
Yuma Sector CBP agent Ramon Marquez, 31, was arrested in May 2025 and has been charged with 15 felonies including 14 counts of sexual conduct with a 16-year-old between Dec 2024 and Apr 2025.
Reposted by elia ayoub
lots of people misremember the Y2K bug as a media hype story but in reality nothing happened cuz people actually stepped up and fixed shit. if it happened now we’d be fucked. maga would tell people Y2K is fake news / people would refuse to update their computers because they “did their own research”
January 7, 2026 at 3:41 PM
lots of people misremember the Y2K bug as a media hype story but in reality nothing happened cuz people actually stepped up and fixed shit. if it happened now we’d be fucked. maga would tell people Y2K is fake news / people would refuse to update their computers because they “did their own research”
Reposted by elia ayoub
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was murdered four fifths of a mile from where George Perry Floyd, Jr., 46, was murdered in May of 2020.
I want the media to understand just how close what happened today is to where George Floyd was murdered. 0.8 miles.
January 7, 2026 at 10:26 PM
Renee Nicole Good, 37, was murdered four fifths of a mile from where George Perry Floyd, Jr., 46, was murdered in May of 2020.
Reposted by elia ayoub
"An elder is someone who is older than olive trees" is about asking why does the Israeli state harm olive trees, and reflecting on how I came to loathe state borders as someone who grew up in Lebanon to a Palestinian grandfather -- plus my love of trains.
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
An elder is someone who is older than olive trees
Or: what breaks me
www.hauntologies.net
January 6, 2026 at 8:18 PM
"An elder is someone who is older than olive trees" is about asking why does the Israeli state harm olive trees, and reflecting on how I came to loathe state borders as someone who grew up in Lebanon to a Palestinian grandfather -- plus my love of trains.
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
Reposted by elia ayoub
I don't even know what to say about this, what part to quote. Please just read it.
"An elder is someone who is older than olive trees" is about asking why does the Israeli state harm olive trees, and reflecting on how I came to loathe state borders as someone who grew up in Lebanon to a Palestinian grandfather -- plus my love of trains.
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
www.hauntologies.net/p/an-elder-i...
An elder is someone who is older than olive trees
Or: what breaks me
www.hauntologies.net
January 7, 2026 at 7:40 PM
I don't even know what to say about this, what part to quote. Please just read it.
This is part of the reason why I am convinced that Labour will do nothing against Trump’s threats against Greenland. I know it’s hard for many to accept, but the evidence is clear: the Labour leadership simply does not give a f-ck. If anything, they admire the Trump admin.
I knew Tory ministers could be cruel, unfeeling bastards. But the insouciance, even mockery, by Labour ministers towards people convicted of no crime, who are at imminent risk of death as a result of an unconscionable period on remand is on another level altogether. They are revelling in it.
January 7, 2026 at 7:28 PM
This is part of the reason why I am convinced that Labour will do nothing against Trump’s threats against Greenland. I know it’s hard for many to accept, but the evidence is clear: the Labour leadership simply does not give a f-ck. If anything, they admire the Trump admin.
The only humans on Earth who do not already know this are tech bros, lazy journalists, and politicians
DELL EXEC: Consumers are “not buying based on AI. In fact I think AI probably confuses them more than it helps them understand a specific outcome."
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
@pcgamer.com #CES
www.pcgamer.com/hardware/del...
Dell seems to be the first to realise we don't actually care about AI PCs
"What we've learned over the course of this year, from a consumer perspective, is they're not buying based on AI."
www.pcgamer.com
January 7, 2026 at 7:20 PM
The only humans on Earth who do not already know this are tech bros, lazy journalists, and politicians
Reposted by elia ayoub
If the Palestine Action hunger strikers die - which they could do at any moment, as they are now very close to the end - it will be the government that killed them. Today’s column explains why. Please share, and write urgently to your MP.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Let’s be clear: if the Palestine Action hunger strikers die, the government will bear moral responsibility | George Monbiot
The three remaining hunger strikers have been convicted of nothing. Yet with astonishing cruelty, ministers refuse to listen to their reasonable demands, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
January 7, 2026 at 8:07 AM
If the Palestine Action hunger strikers die - which they could do at any moment, as they are now very close to the end - it will be the government that killed them. Today’s column explains why. Please share, and write urgently to your MP.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...