Matt
@mattferrel.bsky.social
Political news junkie. Blocks doomers, bigots, & engagement farmers following > 10k on sight. No patience for non-voters or far left who blame Dems instead of GOP for our problems.
Pinned
Matt
@mattferrel.bsky.social
· Oct 21
Pinned post for moderation lists, cool feeds, other useful stuff
Reposted by Matt
1/2 Remember that the great disruptions of past 11 1/2 months are from the WHIM OF ONE MAN:
—Upheaval of world economy via tariffs
—Effective dissolution of longest-standing Western alliances (NATO, North Amer partners, cultural-scientific-educ-aid institutions, US "soft power" overall.)
—Now this.
—Upheaval of world economy via tariffs
—Effective dissolution of longest-standing Western alliances (NATO, North Amer partners, cultural-scientific-educ-aid institutions, US "soft power" overall.)
—Now this.
January 3, 2026 at 5:02 PM
1/2 Remember that the great disruptions of past 11 1/2 months are from the WHIM OF ONE MAN:
—Upheaval of world economy via tariffs
—Effective dissolution of longest-standing Western alliances (NATO, North Amer partners, cultural-scientific-educ-aid institutions, US "soft power" overall.)
—Now this.
—Upheaval of world economy via tariffs
—Effective dissolution of longest-standing Western alliances (NATO, North Amer partners, cultural-scientific-educ-aid institutions, US "soft power" overall.)
—Now this.
Reposted by Matt
Chairman JCOS: “Months of planning…”
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
January 3, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Chairman JCOS: “Months of planning…”
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
soooo not an imminent threat justifying self-defense
Terrible day to know how to read
January 3, 2026 at 6:18 PM
Terrible day to know how to read
Reposted by Matt
A college sophomore at an Occupy rally could not have generated such a grotesque outsized caricature of US imperialism
Trump: "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country. And we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so."
January 3, 2026 at 5:20 PM
A college sophomore at an Occupy rally could not have generated such a grotesque outsized caricature of US imperialism
Reposted by Matt
marco rubio says cuba is run by "incompetent, senile men" WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF AN INCOMPETENT, SENILE MAN
January 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
marco rubio says cuba is run by "incompetent, senile men" WHILE STANDING IN FRONT OF AN INCOMPETENT, SENILE MAN
Reposted by Matt
I’ve long maintained that it was a mistake for Congress to have abolished itself.
January 3, 2026 at 10:57 AM
I’ve long maintained that it was a mistake for Congress to have abolished itself.
Reposted by Matt
This one aged great
an annoying thing about realists insisting they're the no-nonsense reality-based group is that few of their predictions have been based in reality
January 3, 2026 at 1:57 PM
This one aged great
Reposted by Matt
After a year in which Trump has bombed ...
- Venezuela
- Nigeria
- Iran
- Yemen
- Syria
- Somalia
- and civilian boats in international waters
... I’m thinking about the voters who convinced themselves that Trump was the candidate of foreign policy restraint.
- Venezuela
- Nigeria
- Iran
- Yemen
- Syria
- Somalia
- and civilian boats in international waters
... I’m thinking about the voters who convinced themselves that Trump was the candidate of foreign policy restraint.
January 3, 2026 at 2:06 PM
After a year in which Trump has bombed ...
- Venezuela
- Nigeria
- Iran
- Yemen
- Syria
- Somalia
- and civilian boats in international waters
... I’m thinking about the voters who convinced themselves that Trump was the candidate of foreign policy restraint.
- Venezuela
- Nigeria
- Iran
- Yemen
- Syria
- Somalia
- and civilian boats in international waters
... I’m thinking about the voters who convinced themselves that Trump was the candidate of foreign policy restraint.
Reposted by Matt
via @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social on Twitter: Saturn Devouring His Son, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636, 📸 by Tiffany Trump
January 2, 2026 at 1:11 AM
via @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social on Twitter: Saturn Devouring His Son, by Peter Paul Rubens, 1636, 📸 by Tiffany Trump
Reposted by Matt
Barbra Streisand
January 3, 2026 at 1:24 AM
Barbra Streisand
Reposted by Matt
NEW from me:
Currently on tap for Tony Dokoupil on his first day as CBS Evening News anchor -- taking a private plane to Miami to so he can go jet skiing with DJ Khaled and play soccer with David Beckham.
Take that, elites!
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Currently on tap for Tony Dokoupil on his first day as CBS Evening News anchor -- taking a private plane to Miami to so he can go jet skiing with DJ Khaled and play soccer with David Beckham.
Take that, elites!
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Private jets and ‘Bari pitches’: Inside Weiss’ chaotic CBS Evening News reboot
EXCLUSIVE: The new CBS News editor-in-chief has chartered private flights for her armed security detail, made last-minute logistical changes and fired off ‘Bari Pitches.’ Weiss is once again accused o...
www.independent.co.uk
January 3, 2026 at 12:51 AM
NEW from me:
Currently on tap for Tony Dokoupil on his first day as CBS Evening News anchor -- taking a private plane to Miami to so he can go jet skiing with DJ Khaled and play soccer with David Beckham.
Take that, elites!
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Currently on tap for Tony Dokoupil on his first day as CBS Evening News anchor -- taking a private plane to Miami to so he can go jet skiing with DJ Khaled and play soccer with David Beckham.
Take that, elites!
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/a...
Reposted by Matt
January 3, 2026 at 1:07 AM
Reposted by Matt
In our recent October poll, 2% of Americans said their primary source of news was CBS. They disapprove of Trump by a net 20 points.
I doubt a campaign against elites and academia — left-coded groups, in the Trumpian formulation — is going to help ratings www.gelliottmorris.com/p/what-your-...
I doubt a campaign against elites and academia — left-coded groups, in the Trumpian formulation — is going to help ratings www.gelliottmorris.com/p/what-your-...
January 3, 2026 at 12:58 AM
In our recent October poll, 2% of Americans said their primary source of news was CBS. They disapprove of Trump by a net 20 points.
I doubt a campaign against elites and academia — left-coded groups, in the Trumpian formulation — is going to help ratings www.gelliottmorris.com/p/what-your-...
I doubt a campaign against elites and academia — left-coded groups, in the Trumpian formulation — is going to help ratings www.gelliottmorris.com/p/what-your-...
Reposted by Matt
A13. In case you're wondering how newsy it is to have the President dead to rights.
January 3, 2026 at 3:26 AM
A13. In case you're wondering how newsy it is to have the President dead to rights.
Reposted by Matt
I mean given that he is constitutionally barred from re-election what exactly can you call this other than legalized bribery?
NEW w/ @kenvogel.bsky.social: Trump’s team raised more than $100 million for MAGA Inc. in the second half of 2025, with much of the money coming from wealthy people and corporations with issues before the administration. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/02/u...
Trump Super PAC Raised More Than $100 Million in Recent Months
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:48 AM
I mean given that he is constitutionally barred from re-election what exactly can you call this other than legalized bribery?
Reposted by Matt
You should leave Substack in 2026, because they platform fascists regularly, but even before that I am *begging* you to stop referring to your writing as "my Substack" because why give them that agency. It's your writing, your posts, your words, on their platform.
January 3, 2026 at 3:54 AM
You should leave Substack in 2026, because they platform fascists regularly, but even before that I am *begging* you to stop referring to your writing as "my Substack" because why give them that agency. It's your writing, your posts, your words, on their platform.
Reposted by Matt
I mean, X knows its customer base.
NEW: People are using Elon Musk's chatbot, Grok, to alter images to depict real women being sexually abused, humiliated, hurt, and even killed.
futurism.com/future-socie...
futurism.com/future-socie...
Grok Is Being Used to Depict Horrific Violence Against Real Women
People are asking Elon Musk's Grok chatbot to alter images to depict women being sexually abused, humiliated, and even killed.
futurism.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:03 AM
I mean, X knows its customer base.
Reposted by Matt
Good for Reuters for changing their headline. Pressure works. Grok did not do this. Elon Musk did.
January 3, 2026 at 4:14 AM
Good for Reuters for changing their headline. Pressure works. Grok did not do this. Elon Musk did.
Reposted by Matt
The way the press is treating chatbots, like they have agency and they “know” things all of a sudden, crossed the line recently from dumb and obsequious to something else entirely. Treating them as alive and making conscious decisions is an almost religious belief. It won’t age well.
January 3, 2026 at 2:52 AM
The way the press is treating chatbots, like they have agency and they “know” things all of a sudden, crossed the line recently from dumb and obsequious to something else entirely. Treating them as alive and making conscious decisions is an almost religious belief. It won’t age well.
Reposted by Matt
I think about this one a lot
January 3, 2026 at 4:19 AM
I think about this one a lot
Reposted by Matt
people offended by $600 shoes are going to be in for a surprise when trump eventually reshores US manufacturing
January 3, 2026 at 4:37 AM
people offended by $600 shoes are going to be in for a surprise when trump eventually reshores US manufacturing
Reposted by Matt
If, being incredibly charitable, you didn’t intend to make a CSAM robot, not immediately turning off the CSAM robot when you find out you accidentally made a CSAM robot should still get you put in the magnetic boots prison from Face/Off
January 2, 2026 at 11:20 PM
If, being incredibly charitable, you didn’t intend to make a CSAM robot, not immediately turning off the CSAM robot when you find out you accidentally made a CSAM robot should still get you put in the magnetic boots prison from Face/Off
Reposted by Matt
Under Irish law Musk can be jailed for 12 months for being a director of a company distributing CSAM. Section 9 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998. 'X' is a company registered in Ireland.
January 2, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Under Irish law Musk can be jailed for 12 months for being a director of a company distributing CSAM. Section 9 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998. 'X' is a company registered in Ireland.
Reposted by Matt
1. Headlines everywhere today read "Grok apologizes."
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
January 3, 2026 at 12:12 AM
1. Headlines everywhere today read "Grok apologizes."
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
This is bullshit. A chatbot is not something that can apologize.
Pretending otherwise is simple laundering these companies' bullshit about what AI is, while diffusing blame away from the human beings that developed and released this system.
Reposted by Matt
Yep, the level of vicious bigotry is extreme and we can cannot give an inch. There is a movement on the far right, supported by billionaires and powerful people in the White House, who want to ethnically cleanse Somalis from the U.S., and we must describe it as such and treat it as such.
This is the "testing the waters" phase of the playbook. The GOP ecosystem targets groups like Somalis, Haitians, and trans people specifically because they've calculated that the average person's passive disapproval won't ever turn into active defense. They're exploiting public apathy.
i'm really having a hard time getting past the "surely we can all agree that Somalis are worse than trash" thing. this feels new and very bad
January 2, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Yep, the level of vicious bigotry is extreme and we can cannot give an inch. There is a movement on the far right, supported by billionaires and powerful people in the White House, who want to ethnically cleanse Somalis from the U.S., and we must describe it as such and treat it as such.