Mark Stout
@markstout.bsky.social
Intelligence historian, former intelligence officer. Also live on the borderlands of military history. Former Historian at the International Spy Museum. University educator. I wish I were in Seattle. The cat is Boadicea.
Reposted by Mark Stout
people born in america probably don’t realize how cool america used to be. the death of US soft power is going to have long term consequences we are only beginning to see
February 10, 2026 at 3:23 PM
people born in america probably don’t realize how cool america used to be. the death of US soft power is going to have long term consequences we are only beginning to see
Reposted by Mark Stout
Vermont US Representative Becca Balint being interviewed by Drop Site News shortly after reviewing more, unreleased Epstein files saying
"They're all a bunch of sick fucks"
"They're all a bunch of sick fucks"
February 10, 2026 at 3:02 AM
Vermont US Representative Becca Balint being interviewed by Drop Site News shortly after reviewing more, unreleased Epstein files saying
"They're all a bunch of sick fucks"
"They're all a bunch of sick fucks"
Reposted by Mark Stout
Takeaway: the only religious folks (included here anyway) who consistently see things clearly are black Protestants. Unsurprising. Good to see some evidence of others slowly coming to their senses.
February 10, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Takeaway: the only religious folks (included here anyway) who consistently see things clearly are black Protestants. Unsurprising. Good to see some evidence of others slowly coming to their senses.
Reposted by Mark Stout
🧵 on the ignorance on display. 1) Starting w/diversity. The US military should broadly look like the US as that keeps the military tethered to American society. If it's all just a bunch of door kicking rural white Christian dudes that's bad. It's bad for the military & it's bad for American. 1/
February 10, 2026 at 2:38 AM
🧵 on the ignorance on display. 1) Starting w/diversity. The US military should broadly look like the US as that keeps the military tethered to American society. If it's all just a bunch of door kicking rural white Christian dudes that's bad. It's bad for the military & it's bad for American. 1/
Hegseth should just say what he means: non-white people and women and non-heterosexual people should get out of the US military.
February 10, 2026 at 4:11 AM
Hegseth should just say what he means: non-white people and women and non-heterosexual people should get out of the US military.
I'm old enough to remember when the US military really, really wished there was more than just the one native Somali speaker (who served honorably but was related to a warlord we wanted to capture) in uniform. I'm pretty sure that one Marine was black too, Pete.
February 10, 2026 at 4:09 AM
I'm old enough to remember when the US military really, really wished there was more than just the one native Somali speaker (who served honorably but was related to a warlord we wanted to capture) in uniform. I'm pretty sure that one Marine was black too, Pete.
You're doing the Lord's work.
I sometimes set a timer on my phone that goes off loudly for all to hear when the speaker has hit their time limit.
I sometimes set a timer on my phone that goes off loudly for all to hear when the speaker has hit their time limit.
February 10, 2026 at 3:52 AM
You're doing the Lord's work.
I sometimes set a timer on my phone that goes off loudly for all to hear when the speaker has hit their time limit.
I sometimes set a timer on my phone that goes off loudly for all to hear when the speaker has hit their time limit.
Would an IRB approve such a study?
February 10, 2026 at 12:57 AM
Would an IRB approve such a study?
Reposted by Mark Stout
What can you do with a history degree?
February 9, 2026 at 1:52 AM
What can you do with a history degree?
Reposted by Mark Stout
Did you know that the Pike Place Market fish guys don't only throw fish, they'll throw anything? Like, for example, my book?
www.instagram.com/p/C1uOTueMaqg/
www.instagram.com/p/C1uOTueMaqg/
David Shiffman on Instagram: "Since I'm in Seattle, here are the @pikeplacefish @pikeplacepublicmark...
21 likes, 2 comments - whysharksmatter on January 5, 2024: "Since I'm in Seattle, here are the @pikeplacefish @pikeplacepublicmarket guys throwing not a fish..."
www.instagram.com
January 5, 2024 at 3:27 PM
Did you know that the Pike Place Market fish guys don't only throw fish, they'll throw anything? Like, for example, my book?
www.instagram.com/p/C1uOTueMaqg/
www.instagram.com/p/C1uOTueMaqg/
Reposted by Mark Stout
Here’s the situation in the Twin Cities:
Random Bovino-style tear-gassing: Way down
Relentless persecution of immigrants: Unchanged
Thuggish violence against observers: Way up
Random Bovino-style tear-gassing: Way down
Relentless persecution of immigrants: Unchanged
Thuggish violence against observers: Way up
February 8, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Here’s the situation in the Twin Cities:
Random Bovino-style tear-gassing: Way down
Relentless persecution of immigrants: Unchanged
Thuggish violence against observers: Way up
Random Bovino-style tear-gassing: Way down
Relentless persecution of immigrants: Unchanged
Thuggish violence against observers: Way up
Reposted by Mark Stout
Casual reminder ahead of this evening!
February 8, 2026 at 9:37 PM
Casual reminder ahead of this evening!
Reposted by Mark Stout
NEW: The Trump admin certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse.
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump Using A ‘Softer Touch’ With ICE In Minnesota? Residents Say Don’t Be Fooled.
Two weeks after Alex Pretti’s killing, federal agents have shown no signs of backing down. The resistance definitely hasn't.
www.huffpost.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:41 PM
NEW: The Trump admin certainly put on a show last week about changing tactics in Minnesota after ICE agents killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old VA nurse.
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Trump even suggested it's time for "a softer touch."
Except residents say nothing has changed. At all. www.huffpost.com/entry/ice-mi...
Reposted by Mark Stout
While I don’t know if any Muppets break the second fourth wall on Television or Movies …
There is this one camera test where Kermit and Fozzie ad lib being abstract entities …
There is this one camera test where Kermit and Fozzie ad lib being abstract entities …
Muppet Movie 1979 camera test: The banter is so hilariously improvised.
YouTube video by LifeIsSublime
youtu.be
February 8, 2026 at 7:08 AM
While I don’t know if any Muppets break the second fourth wall on Television or Movies …
There is this one camera test where Kermit and Fozzie ad lib being abstract entities …
There is this one camera test where Kermit and Fozzie ad lib being abstract entities …
Been thinking about Günter Guillaume quite a lot over the last day. IYKYK.
February 8, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Been thinking about Günter Guillaume quite a lot over the last day. IYKYK.
Is this apropos of the Guardian story?
February 8, 2026 at 11:32 AM
Is this apropos of the Guardian story?
The collection includes Scruffy the Cat!
February 8, 2026 at 10:32 AM
The collection includes Scruffy the Cat!
Having some military officers study at civilian universities is a good thing. The SecDef, once again showing how he is irretrievably mired in the tactical, doesn’t understand this.
Brian Allen
Pete Hegseth complained that the Pentagon sent officers to Harvard to study strategy and leadership — and they came back “too Harvard,” with “globalist, radical ideologies.”
In other words:
The military sent people to learn diplomacy, history, and international law.
Pete Hegseth complained that the Pentagon sent officers to Harvard to study strategy and leadership — and they came back “too Harvard,” with “globalist, radical ideologies.”
In other words:
The military sent people to learn diplomacy, history, and international law.
February 8, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Having some military officers study at civilian universities is a good thing. The SecDef, once again showing how he is irretrievably mired in the tactical, doesn’t understand this.
Reposted by Mark Stout
Trump regime’s latest effort to whitewash history and control narrative: all State department posts on X made before Trump took office in 2025 will be removed. That includes accounts for US embassies, missions, ambassadors, department bureaus, programs. www.npr.org/2026/02/07/n...
State Department will delete X posts from before Trump returned to office
The policy change orders the removal of any post made by official State Department accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025.
www.npr.org
February 8, 2026 at 5:32 AM
Trump regime’s latest effort to whitewash history and control narrative: all State department posts on X made before Trump took office in 2025 will be removed. That includes accounts for US embassies, missions, ambassadors, department bureaus, programs. www.npr.org/2026/02/07/n...
Reposted by Mark Stout
Everyone should be following the digitization and posting of the Adam Jacobs Collection. A 10,000 live concert chronicle of rocknroll-live-in-Chicago between the mid-1980s and today. archive.org/details/aada...
February 7, 2026 at 11:54 PM
Everyone should be following the digitization and posting of the Adam Jacobs Collection. A 10,000 live concert chronicle of rocknroll-live-in-Chicago between the mid-1980s and today. archive.org/details/aada...
I suspect something along the lines of a modern-day MHCHAOS or COINTELPRO (which I know was FBI).
February 8, 2026 at 3:29 AM
I suspect something along the lines of a modern-day MHCHAOS or COINTELPRO (which I know was FBI).
Well, I would imagine that the American involved in this call would have been so senior in the government or so personally close to the president that Gabbard thought the matter had to be brought to the attention of the president’s top staffer.
February 7, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Well, I would imagine that the American involved in this call would have been so senior in the government or so personally close to the president that Gabbard thought the matter had to be brought to the attention of the president’s top staffer.