Michael Colborne
@colborne.bsky.social
@bellingcat.com journalist etc focused on the transnational far right. i give trainings. i take pictures of stickers. Signal: michaelcolborne.01
Pinned
Michael Colborne
@colborne.bsky.social
· Sep 15
Geolocating an Active Club 'Fight Night' in San Diego
An orange wall helped Bellingcat identify the location of an annual far-right event attended by neo-Nazis and white nationalists.
www.bellingcat.com
Pro tip: if you're trying to hide the location of your latest far-right 'fight night' all the blurring and and tight shots won't help you if you host it in a place with bright orange walls (and also lie to the owner about why you're renting the place)
www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/09...
www.bellingcat.com/news/2025/09...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
We've put together a frame-by-frame analysis of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, at the same time that Vice President JD Vance held a press conference stressing that what you're going to see in this video did not happen.
We've analysed this video of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis frame-by-frame to highlight the positioning of the gun and phone in the ICE agent's hands.
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
January 8, 2026 at 7:03 PM
We've put together a frame-by-frame analysis of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good, at the same time that Vice President JD Vance held a press conference stressing that what you're going to see in this video did not happen.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
January 8, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For those keeping score, Bellingcat, The New York Times Visual Investigation Team, & Washington Post's Visual Forensic team have all published analysis showing the ICE shooter wasn't in the path of Renee Nicole Good’s vehicle when he shot her, contradicting statements by the President & his cronies
Reposted by Michael Colborne
We've analysed this video of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis frame-by-frame to highlight the positioning of the gun and phone in the ICE agent's hands.
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
January 8, 2026 at 6:38 PM
We've analysed this video of the shooting of Renee Nicole Good yesterday in Minneapolis frame-by-frame to highlight the positioning of the gun and phone in the ICE agent's hands.
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Video: @minnesotareformer.com with annotations by Bellingcat
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Authoritarians use performative lying to mark who is for, and more importantly, against their regimes.
The point isn’t determining truth. The point is creating an ingroup whose loyalty is assured through ritually denying reality and an easily recognizable outgroup that refuses the delusion.
The point isn’t determining truth. The point is creating an ingroup whose loyalty is assured through ritually denying reality and an easily recognizable outgroup that refuses the delusion.
The shooting is shocking enough but the government's response is off the charts when you consider that this incident is forensically documented on video.
January 8, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Authoritarians use performative lying to mark who is for, and more importantly, against their regimes.
The point isn’t determining truth. The point is creating an ingroup whose loyalty is assured through ritually denying reality and an easily recognizable outgroup that refuses the delusion.
The point isn’t determining truth. The point is creating an ingroup whose loyalty is assured through ritually denying reality and an easily recognizable outgroup that refuses the delusion.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Using imagery online of the shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, we’ve created an animated sequence which highlights the approximate positioning of officers and vehicles at the scene. The red dot represents the agent who fired the shots. Yellow dots are other agents who arrived at the scene.
January 7, 2026 at 10:33 PM
Using imagery online of the shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, we’ve created an animated sequence which highlights the approximate positioning of officers and vehicles at the scene. The red dot represents the agent who fired the shots. Yellow dots are other agents who arrived at the scene.
Reposted by Michael Colborne
This seems significant: not a FORMER DHS official, but a SENIOR (current) one saying the officer who fired acted counter to training.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
January 7, 2026 at 9:33 PM
This seems significant: not a FORMER DHS official, but a SENIOR (current) one saying the officer who fired acted counter to training.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
This is not an admin that admits mistakes. And they are hanging this guy out to dry on Day One.
I think they know this is bad. Really bad.
don’t give them ideas
January 7, 2026 at 2:25 PM
don’t give them ideas
Reposted by Michael Colborne
BREAKING: X’s chatbot Grok isn’t just making AI porn deepfakes, it’s now making Nazi AI porn deepfakes, undressing women and showing them wearing “swastika bikinis”. Many of these women are Jewish, including a recently deceased Holocaust survivor.
Elon Musk’s “Grok” is undressing women and showing them in swastika bikinis
One woman targeted is a Jewish Holocaust survivor
decoherence.media
January 7, 2026 at 7:27 AM
BREAKING: X’s chatbot Grok isn’t just making AI porn deepfakes, it’s now making Nazi AI porn deepfakes, undressing women and showing them wearing “swastika bikinis”. Many of these women are Jewish, including a recently deceased Holocaust survivor.
“dominant predator force” is certainly a choice of words a person can make
Ogles: "It's important that we have a stake in Greenland, that they are quite frankly a protectorate of the US. They've been in relationship with Denmark - that needs to end. We've spilled more blood protecting Greenland than the Danes... we are the dominant predator force in the Western Hemisphere"
January 7, 2026 at 2:23 PM
“dominant predator force” is certainly a choice of words a person can make
Reposted by Michael Colborne
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
January 6, 2026 at 2:00 AM
kind of darkly funny that "gender studies" is the stereotypical "useless degree" because gender studies will help you understand a large and important chunk of the current psychosis in american life
start off 2026 by reading about the most obnoxious hardcore subculture there ever was (or, one of?) - hardline!
My new, free access Patreon post is an overview of Hardline, based on Phoenix X Eeyore's "Total Revolution?" This bizarre micro-subculture promoted straight-edge, veganism, militant animal rights- & was anti-abortion & homophobic. Most fascinating book I read in 2025!
www.patreon.com/posts/147487...
www.patreon.com/posts/147487...
Shuddering at Hardline | Spencer Sunshine
Get more from Spencer Sunshine on Patreon
www.patreon.com
January 5, 2026 at 6:41 PM
start off 2026 by reading about the most obnoxious hardcore subculture there ever was (or, one of?) - hardline!
separately I’m perpetually fascinated by (though not surprised by) far-right straight edge like ACs blasting Firestorm in fight videos
January 5, 2026 at 6:35 PM
separately I’m perpetually fascinated by (though not surprised by) far-right straight edge like ACs blasting Firestorm in fight videos
got this book on my bookshelf still to read
January 5, 2026 at 6:32 PM
got this book on my bookshelf still to read
Reposted by Michael Colborne
🚨NEW PAPER
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction: How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
Across democratic systems, ideological cleavages increasingly emerge not only between but also within political parties. At the same time, hyperpartisan and digitally networked media ecosystems amp...
doi.org
January 5, 2026 at 8:36 AM
🚨NEW PAPER
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
The Logic of Connective Faction:
How Digitally Networked Elites and Hyper-Partisan Media Radicalize Politics
w/ @yunkangyang.bsky.social & @mikecowburn.bsky.social
Online radicalization doesn't just affect the public.
It also reshapes how elites & parties behave. doi.org/10.1080/1058...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Hello again, algorithm. Just published in JDSR: My new article explores how social media shape far-right and liberal fantasies of security, belonging, and “love” through affect and algorithmic power. Thanks to WASP-HS & @pledge-project.bsky.social for their support.
publicera.kb.se/jdsr/article...
publicera.kb.se/jdsr/article...
January 5, 2026 at 11:17 AM
Hello again, algorithm. Just published in JDSR: My new article explores how social media shape far-right and liberal fantasies of security, belonging, and “love” through affect and algorithmic power. Thanks to WASP-HS & @pledge-project.bsky.social for their support.
publicera.kb.se/jdsr/article...
publicera.kb.se/jdsr/article...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
From repurposed footage filmed years ago in different parts of the world, to AI images and videos of Maduro's arrest, social media platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok were flooded with disinformation within minutes of America's assault on #Venezuela
www.wired.com/story/disinf...
www.wired.com/story/disinf...
Disinformation Floods Social Media After Nicolás Maduro's Capture
From seemingly AI-generated videos to the recirculation of old footage, TikTok, Instagram, and X did little to stop the onslaught of misleading posts in the wake of the US invasion of Venezuela.
www.wired.com
January 3, 2026 at 6:27 PM
From repurposed footage filmed years ago in different parts of the world, to AI images and videos of Maduro's arrest, social media platforms like X, Instagram and TikTok were flooded with disinformation within minutes of America's assault on #Venezuela
www.wired.com/story/disinf...
www.wired.com/story/disinf...
Reposted by Michael Colborne
At this point there is enough material for five doctoral dissertations on how these guys willfully misinterpret music
Trump posts footage of the Maduro raid set to "Fortunate Son" -- a protest song about the Vietnam War draft
January 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
At this point there is enough material for five doctoral dissertations on how these guys willfully misinterpret music
(yes I’m here quoting guy debord on main)
January 3, 2026 at 2:54 PM
(yes I’m here quoting guy debord on main)
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Neben lauter nicht konsensualer Sexualisierung von Frauen und deutlich minderjährigen Mädchen(!) in Bikinis, erstellt Grok derzeit auch gerne Hakenkreuze für Nazis. Das ist doch nicht von § 86a Abs. 3 StGB gedeckt, wie ist das rechtlich eigentlich geregelt?
January 3, 2026 at 9:38 AM
Neben lauter nicht konsensualer Sexualisierung von Frauen und deutlich minderjährigen Mädchen(!) in Bikinis, erstellt Grok derzeit auch gerne Hakenkreuze für Nazis. Das ist doch nicht von § 86a Abs. 3 StGB gedeckt, wie ist das rechtlich eigentlich geregelt?
“Where the real world changes into simple images, the simple images become real beings and effective motivations of hypnotic behavior.”
Trump to Fox & Friends on the raid that captured Maduro: "I mean, I watched it literally l like I was watching a television show. If you would've seen the speed, the violence -- it was an amazing thing."
January 3, 2026 at 2:47 PM
“Where the real world changes into simple images, the simple images become real beings and effective motivations of hypnotic behavior.”
Reposted by Michael Colborne
The Bellingcat Discord community is currently discussing events in Venezuela and digging up lots of stuff here
discord.com/channels/709...
discord.com/channels/709...
Discord - Group Chat That’s All Fun & Games
Discord is great for playing games and chilling with friends, or even building a worldwide community. Customize your own space to talk, play, and hang out.
discord.com
January 3, 2026 at 2:26 PM
The Bellingcat Discord community is currently discussing events in Venezuela and digging up lots of stuff here
discord.com/channels/709...
discord.com/channels/709...
“When asked about the situation with the pod bay doors, HAL gave no further comment”
a close up of a camera lens with a red light coming out of it that says ' nikon ' on it
ALT: a close up of a camera lens with a red light coming out of it that says ' nikon ' on it
media.tenor.com
January 2, 2026 at 8:47 PM
“When asked about the situation with the pod bay doors, HAL gave no further comment”
i guess this is the year we start completely anthropomorphizing and attributing communicative intent to rich guys’ AI chatbots
January 2, 2026 at 8:36 PM
i guess this is the year we start completely anthropomorphizing and attributing communicative intent to rich guys’ AI chatbots
Reposted by Michael Colborne
Every time I think about this, I wish Walter Benjamin were here to comment on it. Even less tethered to reality than a Leni Riefenstahl film. Images scrambled into code and reassembled in the techno-oligarchic Traumkitschfabrik.
It’s quite telling that so many right-wing dealers in nostalgia are embracing the aesthetics of modern AI-generated art. Can’t actually find real images of the imagined past to which you want us to return? No problem; just generate it with AI.
January 2, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Every time I think about this, I wish Walter Benjamin were here to comment on it. Even less tethered to reality than a Leni Riefenstahl film. Images scrambled into code and reassembled in the techno-oligarchic Traumkitschfabrik.