Mike Simmonds
@smikesme.bsky.social
Planting natives in Southland AoNZ for a living. Baking for fun.
Joining dots to make confident sounding analysis of things I know nothing about since 1974
Joining dots to make confident sounding analysis of things I know nothing about since 1974
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
While Trump is cornered, I wanted to re-up this one about his true motivations and what’s at stake.
TRUMP IS NOT AN AMERICAN
A new way to see the global Far Right elite
open.substack.com
November 13, 2025 at 6:57 PM
While Trump is cornered, I wanted to re-up this one about his true motivations and what’s at stake.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Bakunin wrote about this very thing!
"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or the engineer.
"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or the engineer.
So there is an issue with authority.
Authority that arises from experience, character, and skill seems to me to be different than authority by hierarchy, force, or status.
Thoughts?
Authority that arises from experience, character, and skill seems to me to be different than authority by hierarchy, force, or status.
Thoughts?
November 13, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Bakunin wrote about this very thing!
"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or the engineer.
"Does it follow that I reject all authority? Far from me such a thought. In the matter of boots, I refer to the authority of the bootmaker; concerning houses, canals, or railroads, I consult that of the architect or the engineer.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
More than a dozen Israeli soldiers spoke to ITV for their new documentary Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, about how their army’s two-year campaign in Gaza involved shooting unarmed Palestinians en masse, using teenagers as human shields, and flattening entire neighborhoods without pretext of...
November 12, 2025 at 7:17 PM
More than a dozen Israeli soldiers spoke to ITV for their new documentary Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, about how their army’s two-year campaign in Gaza involved shooting unarmed Palestinians en masse, using teenagers as human shields, and flattening entire neighborhoods without pretext of...
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
It’s the men. Again. bsky.app/profile/ebha...
What the Epstein files show is the *solidarity* of many men-across class, race, religion, profession & party affiliation-in the global political project of keeping the boot on women's necks.
People have no problem understanding class solidarity among the rich. Why can't they see gender solidarity?
People have no problem understanding class solidarity among the rich. Why can't they see gender solidarity?
Like I dunno, maybe the reason it took a lady to break open the story of all the men protecting the dude trafficking underage girls is because the male journos were all emailing him making jokes about it?
November 13, 2025 at 1:02 AM
It’s the men. Again. bsky.app/profile/ebha...
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
A beloved conservative trope is "queer degeneracy".
Here, nations fall to transgressive permissiveness. Men are effete, women are macho. Children are victims of orgiastic liberality.
Epstein's emails are a reminder of the sad truth: a reliable predictor of abuse is just men with unchecked power.
Here, nations fall to transgressive permissiveness. Men are effete, women are macho. Children are victims of orgiastic liberality.
Epstein's emails are a reminder of the sad truth: a reliable predictor of abuse is just men with unchecked power.
November 12, 2025 at 11:42 PM
A beloved conservative trope is "queer degeneracy".
Here, nations fall to transgressive permissiveness. Men are effete, women are macho. Children are victims of orgiastic liberality.
Epstein's emails are a reminder of the sad truth: a reliable predictor of abuse is just men with unchecked power.
Here, nations fall to transgressive permissiveness. Men are effete, women are macho. Children are victims of orgiastic liberality.
Epstein's emails are a reminder of the sad truth: a reliable predictor of abuse is just men with unchecked power.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
The ICE and Nat'l Guard deployments are just the beginning
Trump's upcoming National Security Strategy identifies the "homeland" as its top priority (above even China!) sources who have seen the strategy tell me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-nation...
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-nation...
ICE, National Guard Deployments Just the Beginning
Upcoming national security strategy makes “homeland” top priority
www.kenklippenstein.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:05 AM
The ICE and Nat'l Guard deployments are just the beginning
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
NEW: A week before Donald Trump surged past Hillary Clinton to win the presidency, author Michael Wolff approached Jeffrey Epstein with a proposal to "finish" Trump's candidacy.
"Interested?" Wolff wrote.
Epstein, apparently, declined.
w/ @eorden.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
"Interested?" Wolff wrote.
Epstein, apparently, declined.
w/ @eorden.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 13, 2025 at 12:42 AM
NEW: A week before Donald Trump surged past Hillary Clinton to win the presidency, author Michael Wolff approached Jeffrey Epstein with a proposal to "finish" Trump's candidacy.
"Interested?" Wolff wrote.
Epstein, apparently, declined.
w/ @eorden.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
"Interested?" Wolff wrote.
Epstein, apparently, declined.
w/ @eorden.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
This is sad to see but I'm interested to see how the regeneration pans out
Drone footage reveals scorched landscape after Tongariro fire
www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/12/d...
Drone footage reveals scorched landscape after Tongariro fire
www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/12/d...
Drone footage reveals scorched landscape after Tongariro fire
Large tracts of Tongariro National Park blackened with ash from a huge wildfire over the weekend.
www.1news.co.nz
November 12, 2025 at 4:40 AM
This is sad to see but I'm interested to see how the regeneration pans out
Drone footage reveals scorched landscape after Tongariro fire
www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/12/d...
Drone footage reveals scorched landscape after Tongariro fire
www.1news.co.nz/2025/11/12/d...
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
🚨 Breaking: Any Senate Democrat can trigger a vote on Chuck Schumer’s leadership, according to internal caucus rules shared by The American Prospect. The rule, tucked under “Committee on Conference Rules,” requires a leadership vote within 7 days once invoked.
November 11, 2025 at 8:04 PM
🚨 Breaking: Any Senate Democrat can trigger a vote on Chuck Schumer’s leadership, according to internal caucus rules shared by The American Prospect. The rule, tucked under “Committee on Conference Rules,” requires a leadership vote within 7 days once invoked.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
On today's date in 1886, four men were executed in Chicago, IL for their alleged involvement in the Haymarket Affair. They were accused of bombing an anti-police brutality rally in May that killed a police officer. Days prior, police killed striking workers outside a factory in Chicago.
November 11, 2025 at 7:56 PM
On today's date in 1886, four men were executed in Chicago, IL for their alleged involvement in the Haymarket Affair. They were accused of bombing an anti-police brutality rally in May that killed a police officer. Days prior, police killed striking workers outside a factory in Chicago.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Never forget lives were taken in the fight for labor rights in this country. And that most of the early labor struggles were led by anarchists and socialists.
November 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Never forget lives were taken in the fight for labor rights in this country. And that most of the early labor struggles were led by anarchists and socialists.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Some thoughts on the CR/minibus.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
November 10, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Some thoughts on the CR/minibus.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
1 The Dems negotiating with Rs were not freelancing. They coordinated with Sen Schumer. A few were ready to give in on day one, others worked to maximize appropriations wins.
Those voting for the 'deal' are the ones furthest away from electoral consequences.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
November 6, 2025 at 12:06 AM
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
ChatGPT advised a suicidal young woman on how to take her own life, telling her "If you choose death, I'm with you - till the end, without judging."
I wanted ChatGPT to help me. So why did it advise me how to kill myself?
ChatGPT wrote a woman a suicide note and another AI chatbot role-played sexual acts with children, BBC finds.
www.bbc.com
November 7, 2025 at 12:15 AM
ChatGPT advised a suicidal young woman on how to take her own life, telling her "If you choose death, I'm with you - till the end, without judging."
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Why is Canberra silent on killings in Sudan but not those in Ukraine or Gaza? www.canberratimes.com.au/story/910529...
Why is Canberra silent on killings in Sudan but not those in Ukraine or Gaza?
Calls by Sudanese community for Australia to prevent genocide
www.canberratimes.com.au
November 6, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Why is Canberra silent on killings in Sudan but not those in Ukraine or Gaza? www.canberratimes.com.au/story/910529...
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
You can do it. Just keep going. You can do it. ❤️
November 4, 2025 at 11:35 AM
You can do it. Just keep going. You can do it. ❤️
Trump administration says it will provide only partial food stamp benefits for November after tapping into the program's contingency fund
#taco
www.cnn.com/politics/liv...
#taco
www.cnn.com/politics/liv...
Trump administration will provide partial November food stamp benefits
Follow here for the latest live updates on President Donald Trump’s administration and the government shutdown ahead of Tuesday’s elections.
www.cnn.com
November 3, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Trump administration says it will provide only partial food stamp benefits for November after tapping into the program's contingency fund
#taco
www.cnn.com/politics/liv...
#taco
www.cnn.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Trump Pardoned this On-line Drug Dealer Trafficker too
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Trump pardons Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht for online drug scheme
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.
www.reuters.com
November 3, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Trump Pardoned this On-line Drug Dealer Trafficker too
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Just the US president putting political pressure on federal courts out in the open. Sadly, he got caught bragging about being a serial sexual abuser before he got elected the first time and was labeled a rapist by a judge before the second time. I'm guessing he gets away this too. Sorry, doomer mood
November 3, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Just the US president putting political pressure on federal courts out in the open. Sadly, he got caught bragging about being a serial sexual abuser before he got elected the first time and was labeled a rapist by a judge before the second time. I'm guessing he gets away this too. Sorry, doomer mood
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
The swamp was full of thin filamentous ice this morning, something I've never seen before. Apparently called "hair ice," only forms on rotting wood under narrow temp/humidity conditions, in the presence of a certain species of fungus! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_ice
November 2, 2025 at 9:33 PM
The swamp was full of thin filamentous ice this morning, something I've never seen before. Apparently called "hair ice," only forms on rotting wood under narrow temp/humidity conditions, in the presence of a certain species of fungus! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hair_ice
Reposted by Mike Simmonds
Male veterans are encountering obstacles in getting treatment for breast cancer in the VA system because of Trump's executive order meant to oppress trans people. I say that again: non-trans men are struggling to get treatment for breast cancer due to transphobia.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
Citing Trump Order on “Biological Truth,” VA Makes It Harder for Male Veterans With Breast Cancer to Get Coverage
A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica erects new roadblocks to care for veterans with the rare but deadly cancer. The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive orde...
www.propublica.org
November 1, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Male veterans are encountering obstacles in getting treatment for breast cancer in the VA system because of Trump's executive order meant to oppress trans people. I say that again: non-trans men are struggling to get treatment for breast cancer due to transphobia.
www.propublica.org/article/vete...
www.propublica.org/article/vete...