John Neilson
@jneilnyc.bsky.social
Occasional musician, writer, programmer, traveler.
"I'm worth a million in (consolation) prizes."
"I'm worth a million in (consolation) prizes."
human deprivation? check
mass suffering? check
promises equality but delivers it selectively? check
promises security but delivers surveillance? check
promises fairness but delivers oppression and democide? check
Apparently unfettered Capitalism is just Socialism in disguise!
mass suffering? check
promises equality but delivers it selectively? check
promises security but delivers surveillance? check
promises fairness but delivers oppression and democide? check
Apparently unfettered Capitalism is just Socialism in disguise!
In a country where the cost of living rises but wages don't, where illness can leave you in financial ruin, and where the young feel they have no chance at any upward mobility, 86 House Democrats joined Republicans to pass a resolution denouncing “the horrors of socialism.” trib.al/YmIjeGU
86 Democrats Condemn Socialism as Zohran Mamdani Meets With Trump
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared to lead the charge.
trib.al
November 21, 2025 at 10:25 PM
human deprivation? check
mass suffering? check
promises equality but delivers it selectively? check
promises security but delivers surveillance? check
promises fairness but delivers oppression and democide? check
Apparently unfettered Capitalism is just Socialism in disguise!
mass suffering? check
promises equality but delivers it selectively? check
promises security but delivers surveillance? check
promises fairness but delivers oppression and democide? check
Apparently unfettered Capitalism is just Socialism in disguise!
"The 'lying press' strategy has evolved. It is no longer just about lies. It is about silence. And if we allow the press to be silenced by humiliation, we will find that the only voice left speaking is the one barking the insults."
contrarian.substack.com/p/from-fake-...
contrarian.substack.com/p/from-fake-...
From “fake news” to “quiet, piggy”: The dark evolution of a decade-long war on truth
Make the messenger so repulsive or small in the eyes of the base, and the message itself evaporates.
contrarian.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:15 AM
"The 'lying press' strategy has evolved. It is no longer just about lies. It is about silence. And if we allow the press to be silenced by humiliation, we will find that the only voice left speaking is the one barking the insults."
contrarian.substack.com/p/from-fake-...
contrarian.substack.com/p/from-fake-...
"If Norman Rockwell were alive today, he would be devastated to see that not only does the problem Ruby Bridges confronted 65 years ago still plague us as a society, but that his own work has been marshalled for the cause of persecution toward immigrant communities and people of color."
November 12, 2025 at 1:48 PM
"If Norman Rockwell were alive today, he would be devastated to see that not only does the problem Ruby Bridges confronted 65 years ago still plague us as a society, but that his own work has been marshalled for the cause of persecution toward immigrant communities and people of color."
In the spirit of the sponsored branding of major buildings (a pet peeve, but never mind) all of the "donors" to this project should get their turn owning their work.
I'm sure the companies would be proud to see "The Amazon East Wing", "The Caterpillar East Wing" and so on...
I'm sure the companies would be proud to see "The Amazon East Wing", "The Caterpillar East Wing" and so on...
NEW: Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) is questioning donors to Trump White House ballroom project … including Apple, Amazon, Caterpillar
“… who solicited your donation..”
www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
“… who solicited your donation..”
www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/u...
www.hsgac.senate.gov
October 26, 2025 at 8:51 AM
In the spirit of the sponsored branding of major buildings (a pet peeve, but never mind) all of the "donors" to this project should get their turn owning their work.
I'm sure the companies would be proud to see "The Amazon East Wing", "The Caterpillar East Wing" and so on...
I'm sure the companies would be proud to see "The Amazon East Wing", "The Caterpillar East Wing" and so on...
Guess which White House tenant isn't getting his security deposit back?
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
White House begins demolishing East Wing facade to build Trump’s ballroom
The president had claimed construction of the $250 million ballroom wouldn’t ‘interfere’ with the existing White House structure.
www.washingtonpost.com
October 20, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Guess which White House tenant isn't getting his security deposit back?
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
And when they do cover one:
- Downplay the scope in the headline
- Allude to the real magnitude in the article without mentioning numbers
- Add a sidebar link explaining (to one man in particular) that it's not a Size Thing
- Move it off the home page ASAP
- Downplay the scope in the headline
- Allude to the real magnitude in the article without mentioning numbers
- Add a sidebar link explaining (to one man in particular) that it's not a Size Thing
- Move it off the home page ASAP
October 20, 2025 at 1:49 AM
And when they do cover one:
- Downplay the scope in the headline
- Allude to the real magnitude in the article without mentioning numbers
- Add a sidebar link explaining (to one man in particular) that it's not a Size Thing
- Move it off the home page ASAP
- Downplay the scope in the headline
- Allude to the real magnitude in the article without mentioning numbers
- Add a sidebar link explaining (to one man in particular) that it's not a Size Thing
- Move it off the home page ASAP
Far from "draining the swamp", they've managed to transform it into a Superfund Site that'll take decades to detoxify.
Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, fuck me. But 10 times??? Where do the MAGATS draw the line?? What happened to drain the swamp? Between all these fucking pardons and EPSTEIN, it’s clear that Trump is the swamp king aka Shrek!!
This doesn’t even include the ones who had pending case but he had their charges dropped.
October 18, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Far from "draining the swamp", they've managed to transform it into a Superfund Site that'll take decades to detoxify.
"Federal records reviewed by WIRED show that [ICE] is seeking private vendors to run a multiyear surveillance program … Their job: Scour Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, converting posts and profiles into fresh leads for enforcement raids."
www.wired.com/story/ice-so...
www.wired.com/story/ice-so...
ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team
Documents show that ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.
www.wired.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
"Federal records reviewed by WIRED show that [ICE] is seeking private vendors to run a multiyear surveillance program … Their job: Scour Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms, converting posts and profiles into fresh leads for enforcement raids."
www.wired.com/story/ice-so...
www.wired.com/story/ice-so...
If PORTLANDIA got him that fired up, I hope no one shows him ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, or THE WARRIORS, or GANGS OF NEW YORK...
NEW on Press Watch: Why is the national media ignoring this revelatory quote? I'll tell you why. presswatchers.org/2025/09/trum...
Trump: 'Am I watching things on television that are different from what's happening?' | Press Watch
Trump's Second Term
presswatchers.org
October 1, 2025 at 6:16 AM
If PORTLANDIA got him that fired up, I hope no one shows him ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, or THE WARRIORS, or GANGS OF NEW YORK...
Seriously, if these are your happy meal, “splinters” are probably the least of your worries. Still…
this is why we can’t have nice-things-on-a-stick
this is why we can’t have nice-things-on-a-stick
About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because wood pieces may be embedded in the batter.
58M pounds of corn dogs and sausage-on-a-stick products recalled because wood pieces may be inside
About 58 million pounds of corn dogs and other sausage-on-a-stick products are being recalled across the U.S. because wood pieces may be embedded in the batter.
bit.ly
September 29, 2025 at 3:31 AM
Seriously, if these are your happy meal, “splinters” are probably the least of your worries. Still…
this is why we can’t have nice-things-on-a-stick
this is why we can’t have nice-things-on-a-stick
Today's Top Story: Emperor demands entire world admire his incredibly beautiful new clothes, unbelievably beautiful new clothes like we have rarely seen before and probably won't see again.
September 23, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Today's Top Story: Emperor demands entire world admire his incredibly beautiful new clothes, unbelievably beautiful new clothes like we have rarely seen before and probably won't see again.
Dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson reading from his works in Brooklyn this week. It‘s a shame that - rather than sounding dated - his 40+ yr old anti-racist/anti-fascist verses sound more prescient than ever In 2025.
September 22, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson reading from his works in Brooklyn this week. It‘s a shame that - rather than sounding dated - his 40+ yr old anti-racist/anti-fascist verses sound more prescient than ever In 2025.
"The kind of authoritarianism I fear is emerging in the United States ... doesn’t involve the outright criminalization of the opposition or formal martial law. Instead, it depends on perverting the law, modifying and twisting it with the intent of incrementally undermining the opposition ..."
September 21, 2025 at 5:56 AM
"The kind of authoritarianism I fear is emerging in the United States ... doesn’t involve the outright criminalization of the opposition or formal martial law. Instead, it depends on perverting the law, modifying and twisting it with the intent of incrementally undermining the opposition ..."
Make sure they bring their checkbooks...
"Give me your fat, your rich,
Your swaddled classes yearning to spend free,
The spoiled refuse of your foreign shore.
Send these, the yacht-blessed oligarchs to me,
To leave their gifts inside the golden door"
"Give me your fat, your rich,
Your swaddled classes yearning to spend free,
The spoiled refuse of your foreign shore.
Send these, the yacht-blessed oligarchs to me,
To leave their gifts inside the golden door"
Give me your poor, your tired, your hungry…but not your persecuted or abused.
September 4, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Make sure they bring their checkbooks...
"Give me your fat, your rich,
Your swaddled classes yearning to spend free,
The spoiled refuse of your foreign shore.
Send these, the yacht-blessed oligarchs to me,
To leave their gifts inside the golden door"
"Give me your fat, your rich,
Your swaddled classes yearning to spend free,
The spoiled refuse of your foreign shore.
Send these, the yacht-blessed oligarchs to me,
To leave their gifts inside the golden door"
Also from today’s press conference:
“Without the United States, everything in the world would die.”
We all know he’s no stranger to hyperbole, but this must be the biglyest of his exaggerations to date.
“Without the United States, everything in the world would die.”
We all know he’s no stranger to hyperbole, but this must be the biglyest of his exaggerations to date.
September 2, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Also from today’s press conference:
“Without the United States, everything in the world would die.”
We all know he’s no stranger to hyperbole, but this must be the biglyest of his exaggerations to date.
“Without the United States, everything in the world would die.”
We all know he’s no stranger to hyperbole, but this must be the biglyest of his exaggerations to date.
Trump 2025: "I am thrilled to report that the US Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known *from this point forward*, as 'Rocket City'."
Huntsville 1957: "Hold my beer..."
Huntsville 1957: "Hold my beer..."
September 2, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Trump 2025: "I am thrilled to report that the US Space Command headquarters will move to the beautiful locale of a place called Huntsville, Alabama, forever to be known *from this point forward*, as 'Rocket City'."
Huntsville 1957: "Hold my beer..."
Huntsville 1957: "Hold my beer..."
I had already gotten email from a company that I've ordered tea from in the past saying that today was the last day they would be fulfilling orders from the US. DHL was not delivering US-bound mail for the foreseeable future, and DHL Express was so expensive as to not be an option for small buyers.
Postal operators in several countries have announced they will suspend certain deliveries to the United States, ahead of an end to a long-standing tariff exemption for packages worth $800 or less. https://wapo.st/465XKPS
Some countries are suspending postal deliveries to the U.S. Here’s why.
Postal companies in several countries, including France, Germany and the U.K., plan to suspend package deliveries to the U.S. because of President Donald Trump’s order ending tariff exemptions.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 24, 2025 at 4:39 AM
I had already gotten email from a company that I've ordered tea from in the past saying that today was the last day they would be fulfilling orders from the US. DHL was not delivering US-bound mail for the foreseeable future, and DHL Express was so expensive as to not be an option for small buyers.
A look at a century of radio broadcasting, and how the last few decades have seen a slow but steady takeover by right wing voices that no doubt laid the groundwork for our current state of affairs.
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
August 23, 2025 at 5:24 PM
A look at a century of radio broadcasting, and how the last few decades have seen a slow but steady takeover by right wing voices that no doubt laid the groundwork for our current state of affairs.
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm...
World leaders attending the White House summit were encouraged to exit through the gift shop.
August 19, 2025 at 3:23 AM
World leaders attending the White House summit were encouraged to exit through the gift shop.
The Future (2024): we were promised jet packs!
The Future (2025): we were promised handbaskets!
The Future (2025): we were promised handbaskets!
August 14, 2025 at 3:35 AM
The Future (2024): we were promised jet packs!
The Future (2025): we were promised handbaskets!
The Future (2025): we were promised handbaskets!
What's that saying about how “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”?
"Trickle down" has been a fraud for a century already. Ask Will Rogers...
"Trickle down" has been a fraud for a century already. Ask Will Rogers...
August 7, 2025 at 5:41 PM
What's that saying about how “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”?
"Trickle down" has been a fraud for a century already. Ask Will Rogers...
"Trickle down" has been a fraud for a century already. Ask Will Rogers...
"Don’t get me wrong. Things are dire. But the evidence seems to suggest that loudly calling attention to the fact that the government is run by cackling extremists is not the winning strategy that whoever is running Homeland Security’s social media thinks it is."
tinyurl.com/yudz6vcn
tinyurl.com/yudz6vcn
How to Think About Homeland Security’s Unhinged Art Posts | Artnet News
A random collection of art is being swept into the DHS's social feed, alongside Star Wars memes and mugshots. What does it mean?
tinyurl.com
August 5, 2025 at 7:20 AM
"Don’t get me wrong. Things are dire. But the evidence seems to suggest that loudly calling attention to the fact that the government is run by cackling extremists is not the winning strategy that whoever is running Homeland Security’s social media thinks it is."
tinyurl.com/yudz6vcn
tinyurl.com/yudz6vcn
The MAGA embed at Columbia is being called a Monitor.
The MAGA embed as part of the Skydance merger is being called an Ombudsman.
When Stalin had political officers embedded everywhere, they were called Commissars.
No reason we shouldn't just use that word too.
The MAGA embed as part of the Skydance merger is being called an Ombudsman.
When Stalin had political officers embedded everywhere, they were called Commissars.
No reason we shouldn't just use that word too.
July 29, 2025 at 3:30 AM
The MAGA embed at Columbia is being called a Monitor.
The MAGA embed as part of the Skydance merger is being called an Ombudsman.
When Stalin had political officers embedded everywhere, they were called Commissars.
No reason we shouldn't just use that word too.
The MAGA embed as part of the Skydance merger is being called an Ombudsman.
When Stalin had political officers embedded everywhere, they were called Commissars.
No reason we shouldn't just use that word too.
Back when DJT was running for his first term, George's story was playing as a musical on Broadway. George told the audience each night that a standing offer of a free ticket had been made to DJT, who could benefit from refreshing his knowledge of this bit of US history.
tinyurl.com/yz37j993
tinyurl.com/yz37j993
July 22, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Back when DJT was running for his first term, George's story was playing as a musical on Broadway. George told the audience each night that a standing offer of a free ticket had been made to DJT, who could benefit from refreshing his knowledge of this bit of US history.
tinyurl.com/yz37j993
tinyurl.com/yz37j993
TROLLING DEMOCRACY
It’s safe to say that President Trump and the Republican Party are deploying a new form of political propaganda, updating a dark art for the platform era ... one that is ruthless, inflammatory and designed for maximum viral reach.
It’s safe to say that President Trump and the Republican Party are deploying a new form of political propaganda, updating a dark art for the platform era ... one that is ruthless, inflammatory and designed for maximum viral reach.
July 10, 2025 at 7:08 PM
TROLLING DEMOCRACY
It’s safe to say that President Trump and the Republican Party are deploying a new form of political propaganda, updating a dark art for the platform era ... one that is ruthless, inflammatory and designed for maximum viral reach.
It’s safe to say that President Trump and the Republican Party are deploying a new form of political propaganda, updating a dark art for the platform era ... one that is ruthless, inflammatory and designed for maximum viral reach.