Matthew J (is) Tired
@matthewjkuiper.bsky.social
Religion Prof. Islam, South Asia, Middle East. Fascinated by religious actors & movements in modernity. Two books on Islamic da'wa (mission, propagation). Other words in sundry other places. Opinions my own; not speaking for my employer.
13.1🏃🏼♂️✅, 26.2🏃♂️✅
13.1🏃🏼♂️✅, 26.2🏃♂️✅
Pinned
We are living in a time of massive underreaction.
My thought was that, in the psychology of that cooked brain, this attack on, and fantasized occupation of Venezuela is partly compensating for his inability to get his way with Portland, Chicago, etc
Trump couldn't even control Portland Oregon and he wants to control the whole country of Venezuela?
January 3, 2026 at 6:00 PM
My thought was that, in the psychology of that cooked brain, this attack on, and fantasized occupation of Venezuela is partly compensating for his inability to get his way with Portland, Chicago, etc
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
that is what Bush said about Iraq - $7 trillion mistake
DID HE JUST SAY THE OIL WILL PAY FOR THE OCCUPATION
January 3, 2026 at 5:36 PM
that is what Bush said about Iraq - $7 trillion mistake
So I guess “capturing” a nation’s president is the late modern equivalent of, say Khusrow II’s capture of Byzantine Jerusalem and the relic of the True Cross in 614 CE?
January 3, 2026 at 5:43 PM
So I guess “capturing” a nation’s president is the late modern equivalent of, say Khusrow II’s capture of Byzantine Jerusalem and the relic of the True Cross in 614 CE?
Operation Just Cause, U.S. military action (Dec 1989–Jan 1990) that centered on the invasion of Panama for the purposes of removing Gen. Manuel Noriega, the country’s dictatorial de facto ruler, from power and extraditing him to the U.S. to face charges of drug trafficking...
Operation Just Cause | U.S. Invasion of Panama, History, Casualties, & Facts | Britannica
Operation Just Cause (1989–90) was a U.S. military action that involved the invasion of Panama to remove dictator Manuel Noriega and bring him to the U.S. on drug charges.
www.britannica.com
January 3, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Operation Just Cause, U.S. military action (Dec 1989–Jan 1990) that centered on the invasion of Panama for the purposes of removing Gen. Manuel Noriega, the country’s dictatorial de facto ruler, from power and extraditing him to the U.S. to face charges of drug trafficking...
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Does Trump think that because they got the president, the country will just automatically become his? Because presidents *are* the country?
January 3, 2026 at 5:21 PM
Does Trump think that because they got the president, the country will just automatically become his? Because presidents *are* the country?
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Exactly one month ago.
Breaking: President Trump pardons former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez serving 45-year sentence on drug charges.
Amid anti-drug push, Trump pardons leader sentenced on cocaine charges
Trump said Nov. 28 that he planned to pardon the former Honduran leader, and a White House official confirmed Dec. 2 that the pardon had been issued.
bit.ly
January 3, 2026 at 3:34 PM
Exactly one month ago.
Let’s not forget that that, at heart, they’re compulsive, dystopian “content creators” & troll-influencers. As with the boat strikes, nat guard deployments, ice “raids” (with the cameras rolling), and other int’l bombings, this is also, ultimately about the need to keep the posts flowing.
January 3, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Let’s not forget that that, at heart, they’re compulsive, dystopian “content creators” & troll-influencers. As with the boat strikes, nat guard deployments, ice “raids” (with the cameras rolling), and other int’l bombings, this is also, ultimately about the need to keep the posts flowing.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Worth noting that even as Trump bombs Venezuela to unilaterally seize Maduro on domestic US charges, the ICC judges who voted to investigate US war crimes in Afghanistan face such severe US banking sanctions that they are for all intents and purposes excluded from modern life.
‘It’s surreal’: US sanctions lock International Criminal Court judge out of daily life
Canadian judge Kimberly Prost is unable to use credit cards, transfer money or book everyday services in what she calls an attack on the independence of the judiciary
www.irishtimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 4:04 PM
Worth noting that even as Trump bombs Venezuela to unilaterally seize Maduro on domestic US charges, the ICC judges who voted to investigate US war crimes in Afghanistan face such severe US banking sanctions that they are for all intents and purposes excluded from modern life.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Epstein
I wish BlueSky had polls. Because I would love to know who most people believe is responsible for talking Trump into this.
1) Miller
2) Putin
3) Netanyahu
4) Vance
5) Hegseth
6) _______ (wild card)
1) Miller
2) Putin
3) Netanyahu
4) Vance
5) Hegseth
6) _______ (wild card)
January 3, 2026 at 3:53 PM
Epstein
If FIFA could award a peace prize, hell, maybe it can now launch an impeachment?
This all seems pretty unbecoming of a FIFA Peace Prize winner
January 3, 2026 at 3:46 PM
If FIFA could award a peace prize, hell, maybe it can now launch an impeachment?
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Ideally what you want to do is create a system where those who wield power fear the consequences of abusing that power.
January 3, 2026 at 3:25 PM
Ideally what you want to do is create a system where those who wield power fear the consequences of abusing that power.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Maduro was a brutal repressive dictator who destroyed Venezuela. Trump did not have congressional or UN approval to engage in unilateral regime change. Trump's actions were illegal. All of those things can be true at the same time. Don't let them make this about Maduro.
January 3, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Maduro was a brutal repressive dictator who destroyed Venezuela. Trump did not have congressional or UN approval to engage in unilateral regime change. Trump's actions were illegal. All of those things can be true at the same time. Don't let them make this about Maduro.
So… US admin recently bombed Iran, Nigeria, and now Venezuela (and kidnapped the latter’s leader and his spouse).
Meanwhile let’s not forget that the same admin is disallowing or deporting immigrants and refugees from these places.
Meanwhile let’s not forget that the same admin is disallowing or deporting immigrants and refugees from these places.
January 3, 2026 at 2:58 PM
So… US admin recently bombed Iran, Nigeria, and now Venezuela (and kidnapped the latter’s leader and his spouse).
Meanwhile let’s not forget that the same admin is disallowing or deporting immigrants and refugees from these places.
Meanwhile let’s not forget that the same admin is disallowing or deporting immigrants and refugees from these places.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Public opinion is overwhelming against actions like this. But without a Congress to represent the public, there is no need to sway either with justifications of any sort.
January 3, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Public opinion is overwhelming against actions like this. But without a Congress to represent the public, there is no need to sway either with justifications of any sort.
Congress must do its job now, and remove these criminals and mobsters from power. Can you imagine the meltdowns if a Dem president did even a tenth of this insanity?
January 3, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Congress must do its job now, and remove these criminals and mobsters from power. Can you imagine the meltdowns if a Dem president did even a tenth of this insanity?
This is beyond nuts, even by the (non-)standards of our current time. What the heck is this news I’m waking up to?
January 3, 2026 at 2:13 PM
This is beyond nuts, even by the (non-)standards of our current time. What the heck is this news I’m waking up to?
Important read as we near another J6.
Gift link from NYTimes Editorial Board.
What a stain on this country and in our history.
Long article:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
What a stain on this country and in our history.
Long article:
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/31/o...
Opinion | Trump Is the Jan. 6 President
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 6:03 AM
Important read as we near another J6.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
In my most recent book, I make the case that we have to "renegotiate the sociotechnical contract" We have with tech companies. This essay by @parismarx.com details practical steps you can take to at least gain some leverage over predatory tech...
disconnect.blog/we-need-to-r...
disconnect.blog/we-need-to-r...
We need to reassess our relationship to digital tech
Getting off US tech led me to a wider questioning of digital convenience
disconnect.blog
January 3, 2026 at 12:17 AM
In my most recent book, I make the case that we have to "renegotiate the sociotechnical contract" We have with tech companies. This essay by @parismarx.com details practical steps you can take to at least gain some leverage over predatory tech...
disconnect.blog/we-need-to-r...
disconnect.blog/we-need-to-r...
“cognitive amplifier”?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella says people should move beyond calling AI 'slop'
"We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium ... that accounts for humans being equipped with these new cognitive amplifier tools as we relate to each other"
"We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium ... that accounts for humans being equipped with these new cognitive amplifier tools as we relate to each other"
January 3, 2026 at 2:53 AM
“cognitive amplifier”?
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Hahahahahahahahahahaha
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
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 2, 2026 at 5:52 PM
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...
👇👇
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 7:03 PM
👇👇
Question for academics: Is "that" as a relative pronoun (the phenomenon that...) preferable in British English to the relative pronoun "which" (the phenomenon which...)?
Going through proofs and many of my uses of "which" were turned into "that" by the copy editor.
Going through proofs and many of my uses of "which" were turned into "that" by the copy editor.
January 2, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Question for academics: Is "that" as a relative pronoun (the phenomenon that...) preferable in British English to the relative pronoun "which" (the phenomenon which...)?
Going through proofs and many of my uses of "which" were turned into "that" by the copy editor.
Going through proofs and many of my uses of "which" were turned into "that" by the copy editor.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
In one sense, good. We’re getting noticed. In another, oh the framing. Not only does the piece use “freakout”, “panic”, “fear & loathing,” but its opening paragraph (below) concedes too much to misleading analogies to & assumptions about previous panics allegedly sparked by technological change.
Why Do Americans Hate A.I.?
www.nytimes.com
January 2, 2026 at 4:06 PM
In one sense, good. We’re getting noticed. In another, oh the framing. Not only does the piece use “freakout”, “panic”, “fear & loathing,” but its opening paragraph (below) concedes too much to misleading analogies to & assumptions about previous panics allegedly sparked by technological change.
Reposted by Matthew J (is) Tired
Grim but important reading.
“In hundreds of official complaints, inadvertently posted online by the Russian government, soldiers and their loved ones describe a lawless and violent military apparatus that abuses its own troops to maintain its assault in Ukraine.”
How Russia’s War Machine Brutalizes and Exploits Its Own Soldiers (Gift Article)
Confidential complaints filed by troops and their families reveal patterns of wrongdoing in the ranks that are hidden from the Russian public.
www.nytimes.com
January 2, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Grim but important reading.