P.T. McNiff
@ptmcniff.bsky.social
Associate Professor of Writing, USC. // Co-host @thelongtakereview.bsky.social film podcast.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Every single congressional Democrat needs to be out there, right now, insisting that Pete Hegseth resign right now and announcing that he will be held accountable for committing war crimes.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
Exclusive: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave an order to “kill everybody” in the first strike on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. After two men survived, the mission commander ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions, according to two sources.
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Every single congressional Democrat needs to be out there, right now, insisting that Pete Hegseth resign right now and announcing that he will be held accountable for committing war crimes.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
If you do not demand accountability here and now, they will only become more emboldened.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Sorry to be corny but the aerial shots of these crowds are almost indescribably moving and hopeful
October 18, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Sorry to be corny but the aerial shots of these crowds are almost indescribably moving and hopeful
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
For a decade, Trump has wanted to be a dictator. The only changes during that time are 1) the realization by Republicans across the board that they might be able to use his cult of personality as a *permanent* power grab, and 2) the speed of our institutional degradation and collapse.
August 1, 2025 at 7:02 PM
For a decade, Trump has wanted to be a dictator. The only changes during that time are 1) the realization by Republicans across the board that they might be able to use his cult of personality as a *permanent* power grab, and 2) the speed of our institutional degradation and collapse.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Holy shit, they did it. They wrote the headline.
July 30, 2025 at 1:10 AM
Holy shit, they did it. They wrote the headline.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
oh
a good arbiter of how close we are to bad hybrid regime shit is if the political comedy shows start getting pulled for whatever reason
July 18, 2025 at 12:00 AM
oh
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
If that’s what they do to a United States Senator with a question, imagine what they can do to any American that dares to speak up. We will hold this administration accountable.
June 12, 2025 at 9:15 PM
If that’s what they do to a United States Senator with a question, imagine what they can do to any American that dares to speak up. We will hold this administration accountable.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
"Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crack-down against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial."
HAPPENING NOW: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was just taken into custody while protesting outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center
May 9, 2025 at 10:10 PM
"Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crack-down against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial."
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
We are speedrunning the Declaration of Independence, folks.
![[text from the Declaration of Independence]
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:qvyj3hxm4opuuddzrhcbiio6/bafkreiahlp7acp6y2hakkfu5h66vg2ifckdo6b7fqaebenki3qoxswp73e@jpeg)
April 4, 2025 at 11:11 PM
We are speedrunning the Declaration of Independence, folks.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
If the Supreme Court ultimately agrees with what the gov't is arguing today, that the President has broad Article II powers that would permit it to deport people & there can be no judicial review, then literally no one is safe.
March 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
If the Supreme Court ultimately agrees with what the gov't is arguing today, that the President has broad Article II powers that would permit it to deport people & there can be no judicial review, then literally no one is safe.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base.
March 14, 2025 at 10:24 PM
American politics makes a lot more sense when you realize that the GOP is afraid of pissing off the GOP base, and the Dems are afraid of pissing off the GOP base, but neither party is afraid of pissing off the Dem base.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
This vote was to start the process of the cuts. It WILL come back for a final vote.
There are some chances to slow or potentially stop it. Need constant pressure on GOP
Focus on GOP swing seats & key committees. Energy & Commerce is where the Medicaid fight will go down. Ways&Means for tax fight.
There are some chances to slow or potentially stop it. Need constant pressure on GOP
Focus on GOP swing seats & key committees. Energy & Commerce is where the Medicaid fight will go down. Ways&Means for tax fight.
@aoc.bsky.social
Please explain what just happened. Is there no way to stop this w the reconciliation to be used by GOP to get around the filibuster? Are we sunk?
Please explain what just happened. Is there no way to stop this w the reconciliation to be used by GOP to get around the filibuster? Are we sunk?
February 26, 2025 at 3:09 AM
This vote was to start the process of the cuts. It WILL come back for a final vote.
There are some chances to slow or potentially stop it. Need constant pressure on GOP
Focus on GOP swing seats & key committees. Energy & Commerce is where the Medicaid fight will go down. Ways&Means for tax fight.
There are some chances to slow or potentially stop it. Need constant pressure on GOP
Focus on GOP swing seats & key committees. Energy & Commerce is where the Medicaid fight will go down. Ways&Means for tax fight.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
One of my best friends is from a sleepy, wealthy small town in the south-west of Germany. He said, so many of my parents’ neighbours are rich and bored, with little to complain about, and they’ve radicalised themselves at dinner parties and online. In their aimlessness, they’ve bonded over hate.
This isn’t some rant saying “Germany has learned nothing from its past” - the reality is more subtle than that. Middle-class Germans live and travel with an incredible amount of ease and comfort, and they just got…sleepy. Many of them dismissed the far-right’s rage as just another set of complaints.
Just filed an article about the upcoming German elections (out on Sunday) and what strikes me is how timid much of the institutional pushback against the far-right has been. Some people have distinguished themselves but for the most part it’s just been really complacent - really disappointing.
February 23, 2025 at 2:34 PM
One of my best friends is from a sleepy, wealthy small town in the south-west of Germany. He said, so many of my parents’ neighbours are rich and bored, with little to complain about, and they’ve radicalised themselves at dinner parties and online. In their aimlessness, they’ve bonded over hate.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Here it is in a nutshell:
1. Trump is an authoritarian.
2. With the GOP controlling Congress, courts are key to protecting democracy.
3. So far, courts are doing a good job on #2.
4. GOP will next attack election rules like they did in 2021.
Don't let the cynics convince you not to fight. FIGHT!
1. Trump is an authoritarian.
2. With the GOP controlling Congress, courts are key to protecting democracy.
3. So far, courts are doing a good job on #2.
4. GOP will next attack election rules like they did in 2021.
Don't let the cynics convince you not to fight. FIGHT!
February 11, 2025 at 1:25 AM
Here it is in a nutshell:
1. Trump is an authoritarian.
2. With the GOP controlling Congress, courts are key to protecting democracy.
3. So far, courts are doing a good job on #2.
4. GOP will next attack election rules like they did in 2021.
Don't let the cynics convince you not to fight. FIGHT!
1. Trump is an authoritarian.
2. With the GOP controlling Congress, courts are key to protecting democracy.
3. So far, courts are doing a good job on #2.
4. GOP will next attack election rules like they did in 2021.
Don't let the cynics convince you not to fight. FIGHT!
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
in what meaningful way can we say that the constitution is in effect when an unelected and unaccountable billionaire is wielding state power to unilaterally cancel congressional appropriations?
Hearing that DOGE went into the Dept of Education today and shut down almost the entirety of the department's in-house research arm, Institute of Educational Sciences, cancelling contracts totally about $900m.
February 11, 2025 at 1:34 AM
in what meaningful way can we say that the constitution is in effect when an unelected and unaccountable billionaire is wielding state power to unilaterally cancel congressional appropriations?
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
This is what the government did with 120K+ Japanese Americans in 1942.
I know. I was there in those camps.
I know. I was there in those camps.
January 31, 2025 at 7:11 PM
This is what the government did with 120K+ Japanese Americans in 1942.
I know. I was there in those camps.
I know. I was there in those camps.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Do you know why a president would do all the most evil and heinous shit via Executive Order? Because his party can't easily make it law. And if they can't make it law, they can't make it last.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
January 29, 2025 at 12:01 AM
Do you know why a president would do all the most evil and heinous shit via Executive Order? Because his party can't easily make it law. And if they can't make it law, they can't make it last.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
Don't let anyone make you feel like this is The End. Do not let them demoralize you. Live to see them die.
One episode away from finishing the first season for the first time, and these are my thoughts, word for word.
like many right now, I am watching twin peaks for the first time and it is ASTOUNDING to me how even though this show is famously, notoriously known for being deeply weird … it is still weirder than I ever could have imagined. how the *hell* was this on network tv. I love it so much
January 27, 2025 at 3:27 AM
One episode away from finishing the first season for the first time, and these are my thoughts, word for word.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
GEORGE LUCAS IN 1999: a trade embargo is going to spark the galactic reckoning and collapse
ME IN 2025: ah, okay
ME IN 2025: ah, okay
January 26, 2025 at 10:14 PM
GEORGE LUCAS IN 1999: a trade embargo is going to spark the galactic reckoning and collapse
ME IN 2025: ah, okay
ME IN 2025: ah, okay
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
It's fun to be living in a moment when it seems like we are about to enter an era of terrifying authoritarianism OR an era of authoritarian overreach that immediately crumbles and gives way to something better, and these two things might happen simultaneously, and we won't know for sure for A BIT.
January 19, 2025 at 2:07 AM
It's fun to be living in a moment when it seems like we are about to enter an era of terrifying authoritarianism OR an era of authoritarian overreach that immediately crumbles and gives way to something better, and these two things might happen simultaneously, and we won't know for sure for A BIT.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
Fact-checking wasn’t “biased” against conservatives. Conservatives just shared more false content. If there’s a sportsball game and one team fouls four times as much, it’s not “biased” for the ref to call four times as many fouls against that team.
🚨In Nature🚨
Meta is dropping fact-checking to avoid anti-conservative bias- but is there actually evidence of bias?
We this test empirically & find that conservatives
* ARE suspended more
* BUT share more misinfo
So suspension isn't necessarily evidence of bias www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Meta is dropping fact-checking to avoid anti-conservative bias- but is there actually evidence of bias?
We this test empirically & find that conservatives
* ARE suspended more
* BUT share more misinfo
So suspension isn't necessarily evidence of bias www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Differences in misinformation sharing can lead to politically asymmetric sanctions - Nature
We find that conservatives tend to share more low-quality news through social media than liberals, and so even if technology companies enact politically neutral anti-misinformation policies, political...
www.nature.com
January 7, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Fact-checking wasn’t “biased” against conservatives. Conservatives just shared more false content. If there’s a sportsball game and one team fouls four times as much, it’s not “biased” for the ref to call four times as many fouls against that team.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
At the time, everyone, including Republicans, understood how bad it was. Then, brick by brick, they built a foundation of lies to justify doing what they know, deep down, to be wrong. Trump betrayed the country. And so do they.
January 6, 2025 at 1:21 PM
At the time, everyone, including Republicans, understood how bad it was. Then, brick by brick, they built a foundation of lies to justify doing what they know, deep down, to be wrong. Trump betrayed the country. And so do they.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
A big one today with @mikecaulfield.bsky.social. It's about Jan 6th but its really about trying to diagnose what precisely is broken about our information ecosystem and why everything feels so stuck. It's about how the internet is a justification machine. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
The Internet Is Worse Than a Brainwashing Machine
A rationale is always just a scroll or a click away.
www.theatlantic.com
January 6, 2025 at 2:03 PM
A big one today with @mikecaulfield.bsky.social. It's about Jan 6th but its really about trying to diagnose what precisely is broken about our information ecosystem and why everything feels so stuck. It's about how the internet is a justification machine. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
my armchair psychological diagnosis is that the drive to accumulate as much wealth as possible eats away at the drive for self-improvement or the internal desire to cultivate any skills or tastes. these people build huge mounds of treasure and then essentially just sit around looking at it, empty.
find it genuinely delighting that people with enough money to never work again (and do literally anything they want anywhere in the world at any time) seemingly have nothing going on in their lives and are so miserable they are just spending the holidays frantically posting
December 27, 2024 at 9:28 PM
my armchair psychological diagnosis is that the drive to accumulate as much wealth as possible eats away at the drive for self-improvement or the internal desire to cultivate any skills or tastes. these people build huge mounds of treasure and then essentially just sit around looking at it, empty.
Reposted by P.T. McNiff
LA TIMES: Greetings, President Trump! Our billionaire owner is personally approving every headline in order to ensure we never treat you unkindly.
WASHINGTON POST: Here is one million dollars for your inauguration, sir.
ABC NEWS: We got you a Christmas present. It's fifteen million bucks.
WASHINGTON POST: Here is one million dollars for your inauguration, sir.
ABC NEWS: We got you a Christmas present. It's fifteen million bucks.
Utterly appalling and gutless of ABC.
There’s no way Trump could have proved reputational harm. And he’s a public figure.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/u...
There’s no way Trump could have proved reputational harm. And he’s a public figure.
www.nytimes.com/2024/12/14/u...
ABC to Pay $15 Million to Settle a Defamation Suit Brought by Trump
The outcome of the lawsuit marks an unusual victory for President-elect Donald J. Trump in his ongoing legal campaign against national news organizations.
www.nytimes.com
December 14, 2024 at 11:25 PM
LA TIMES: Greetings, President Trump! Our billionaire owner is personally approving every headline in order to ensure we never treat you unkindly.
WASHINGTON POST: Here is one million dollars for your inauguration, sir.
ABC NEWS: We got you a Christmas present. It's fifteen million bucks.
WASHINGTON POST: Here is one million dollars for your inauguration, sir.
ABC NEWS: We got you a Christmas present. It's fifteen million bucks.