Annoyed Diplomat
@annoyeddiplomat.bsky.social
Yes, I am a diplomat. Yes, I'm annoyed. No, I'm not Keri Russell.
Neither of these is remotely plausible.
What's more logical?
That the CIA directed one of its assets to perform the perfect false flag?
Or
That a jihadist played the long game by working with the CIA in Afghanistan to gain legal access to the country and then travel 3,000 miles to enact his plan of attacking National Guard soldiers?
That the CIA directed one of its assets to perform the perfect false flag?
Or
That a jihadist played the long game by working with the CIA in Afghanistan to gain legal access to the country and then travel 3,000 miles to enact his plan of attacking National Guard soldiers?
November 29, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Neither of these is remotely plausible.
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
Thing is, we DID hear about it at his confirmation hearing.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Everyone should read this terrifying thread about Hegseth’s published views wrt war crimes. It’s pretty fucking radical …. We needed to hear about this in his confirmation hearing.
A chapter in Hegseth’s book is literally titled “More Lethality, Less Lawyers.”
It’s almost as if there were signs!
It’s almost as if there were signs!
November 29, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Thing is, we DID hear about it at his confirmation hearing.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Every single senator who voted to confirm Hegseth knew he held these views about the laws of war.
They voted to confirm him anyway.
Dooming is bad, and Trump can't declare elections cancelled. Here's the thing, though: his people *can* prevent a peaceful transfer of power. Will they? No idea. It seems like they're preparing to try, but that doesn't mean they will.
Probably makes sense to keep the possibility in mind, though.
Probably makes sense to keep the possibility in mind, though.
Just once I want these idiot doomers to explain how the federal government can nationally cancel elections that they themselves dont run and they have basically no control over at the state level.
November 28, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Dooming is bad, and Trump can't declare elections cancelled. Here's the thing, though: his people *can* prevent a peaceful transfer of power. Will they? No idea. It seems like they're preparing to try, but that doesn't mean they will.
Probably makes sense to keep the possibility in mind, though.
Probably makes sense to keep the possibility in mind, though.
I suspect Trump will end up pardoning everyone involved, which would pretty much rule out criminal prosecutions.
In theory the ICC could prosecute the one case in Colombian waters, and any in which the target boats had a government registry, but other than that it can't exercise jurisdiction.
In theory the ICC could prosecute the one case in Colombian waters, and any in which the target boats had a government registry, but other than that it can't exercise jurisdiction.
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
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 8:15 PM
I suspect Trump will end up pardoning everyone involved, which would pretty much rule out criminal prosecutions.
In theory the ICC could prosecute the one case in Colombian waters, and any in which the target boats had a government registry, but other than that it can't exercise jurisdiction.
In theory the ICC could prosecute the one case in Colombian waters, and any in which the target boats had a government registry, but other than that it can't exercise jurisdiction.
A spot-on comparison, but another one keeps coming to mind whenever Miller spouts vile gutter racism: Verband Nationaldeutscher Juden. Or Der Deutsche Vortrupp. Given the opportunity, he'd have fit right in.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associa...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associa...
November 28, 2025 at 5:32 PM
A spot-on comparison, but another one keeps coming to mind whenever Miller spouts vile gutter racism: Verband Nationaldeutscher Juden. Or Der Deutsche Vortrupp. Given the opportunity, he'd have fit right in.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associa...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associa...
On top of everything else, Cheung is lying. We need to get much better about calling out public officials when they lie, even if they do it constantly.
The spirit of Thanksgiving has infused the White House press office today, bringing us together in a blessed moment of harmony and goodwill.
November 28, 2025 at 3:02 AM
On top of everything else, Cheung is lying. We need to get much better about calling out public officials when they lie, even if they do it constantly.
The blowback point is certainly valid. Much of the rest is based on assumptions and poorly sourced "reporting".
- He may or may not have been a child soldier.
- The CIA has stated he was affiliated with a "partner force", but that doesn't mean "fought with US special forces" or "CIA-supervised."
- He may or may not have been a child soldier.
- The CIA has stated he was affiliated with a "partner force", but that doesn't mean "fought with US special forces" or "CIA-supervised."
If I'm understanding this correctly, the man who shot two national guards in DC was a former Afghan child soldier who fought alongside US special forces and in a CIA-supervised unit and later was granted asylum. The word "blowback" comes to mind.
November 28, 2025 at 1:56 AM
The blowback point is certainly valid. Much of the rest is based on assumptions and poorly sourced "reporting".
- He may or may not have been a child soldier.
- The CIA has stated he was affiliated with a "partner force", but that doesn't mean "fought with US special forces" or "CIA-supervised."
- He may or may not have been a child soldier.
- The CIA has stated he was affiliated with a "partner force", but that doesn't mean "fought with US special forces" or "CIA-supervised."
I'm no Leslie Jones, but I will absolutely show up at your Thanksgiving dinner and shut down your relatives for a small fee.
November 27, 2025 at 12:32 AM
I'm no Leslie Jones, but I will absolutely show up at your Thanksgiving dinner and shut down your relatives for a small fee.
Russian infiltration of the GOP has without question been the greatest intelligence victory in history. It's literally the only thing keeping the Russian government from collapse.
Russians are literally writing US foreign policy, they have more power projection in DC than in Kyiv LMAO
November 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Russian infiltration of the GOP has without question been the greatest intelligence victory in history. It's literally the only thing keeping the Russian government from collapse.
Fair, though I think there's a good chance that things get much more violent in 2026-7. Almost everyone in the administration is behaving like they'll refuse to allow a peaceful transition. I think the big question is whether they perceive a Dem Congress as a transition or a manageable setback.
2027-8 is probably going to be the moment where we see a Yoon moment, especially if Dems retake the House and/or Senate based on how insane they're acting about a basic "do not commit war crimes" video
November 25, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Fair, though I think there's a good chance that things get much more violent in 2026-7. Almost everyone in the administration is behaving like they'll refuse to allow a peaceful transition. I think the big question is whether they perceive a Dem Congress as a transition or a manageable setback.
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
As far as I can tell, Weiss's only real skill is convincing rich people to give her lots of money so that she can say things they want to hear. Once she gets the money she doesn't seem at all concerned about the content of what she's saying, as long as it makes the rich people happy.
Bari Weiss’s The Free Press (now part of corporate media) is pushing this Ad on Musk’s X. It portrays Peter Thiel as some sort of savant.
This is the same guy, you know, who has been giving lectures about the AntiChrist.
The “Free” Press is more like The Billionaire Press.
This is the same guy, you know, who has been giving lectures about the AntiChrist.
The “Free” Press is more like The Billionaire Press.
November 25, 2025 at 1:51 AM
As far as I can tell, Weiss's only real skill is convincing rich people to give her lots of money so that she can say things they want to hear. Once she gets the money she doesn't seem at all concerned about the content of what she's saying, as long as it makes the rich people happy.
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The New York Times, where the popular mayor-elect of their city is a fringe figure, but the QAnon podcaster who asked him a racist question comes out as a "winner"
This newspaper hates its readers as much as Republicans hate their voters. And if you're still supporting either, you deserve it.
This newspaper hates its readers as much as Republicans hate their voters. And if you're still supporting either, you deserve it.
What a strange framing and characterization. How does one describe his blatantly dishonest, racist question about taxes as “press[ing] the Mayor-elect on his policy proposals”? In what way does this lying troll emerge as a “winner“?
November 25, 2025 at 1:14 AM
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
My guess is that the best case scenario would be a big rise in private crypto transfers, but that would also come with a lot of crime at the cash/crypto exchange points on either end.
Any scenario would also pummel the recipient countries' economies, which would in turn increase migration.
Any scenario would also pummel the recipient countries' economies, which would in turn increase migration.
Cannot emphasize enough that the main effect of this would be to kill regulated formal-economy cash transfers and replace them with "giving your cash to a criminal syndicate from your home country in exchange for a 20% cut."
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 PM
My guess is that the best case scenario would be a big rise in private crypto transfers, but that would also come with a lot of crime at the cash/crypto exchange points on either end.
Any scenario would also pummel the recipient countries' economies, which would in turn increase migration.
Any scenario would also pummel the recipient countries' economies, which would in turn increase migration.
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
damn new organized crime revenue stream just dropped
Trevor Phillips proposes banning "remittances" (ie: imposing currency/exchange controls on international cash transfers by foreign nationals from Britain). He says this would disincentivise immigration, in a Times piece saying the Home Secretary needs to go [much] further
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 24, 2025 at 10:31 PM
damn new organized crime revenue stream just dropped
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
Required boilerplate when quoting DHS: “Widespread misrepresentations by Department of Homeland Security agents call into question everything they say about their activities.” presswatchers.org/2025/11/dhss...
DHS's pack of liars | Press Watch
Journalists should not believe anything the Department of Homeland Security says
presswatchers.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Required boilerplate when quoting DHS: “Widespread misrepresentations by Department of Homeland Security agents call into question everything they say about their activities.” presswatchers.org/2025/11/dhss...
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
People are always like real job stability is in medicine or the law, but the most secure job is actually white guy writes op-eds about how he’s sick of the minorities.
November 24, 2025 at 8:33 PM
People are always like real job stability is in medicine or the law, but the most secure job is actually white guy writes op-eds about how he’s sick of the minorities.
All I can say is that I wish I were surprised by @foreignaffairs.com editorial judgment.
I presume Foreign Affairs is not yet running my one-word rebuttal "don't"
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...
How to Topple Maduro
And why regime change is the only way forward in Venezuela.
www.foreignaffairs.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:08 AM
All I can say is that I wish I were surprised by @foreignaffairs.com editorial judgment.
Also worth noting that he:
1) is utterly clueless about at least some of the topics he claim to be an expert in (i.e. international law),
2) is not very bright in general,
3) maintains a number of sock puppets for use when he's losing online arguments.
1) is utterly clueless about at least some of the topics he claim to be an expert in (i.e. international law),
2) is not very bright in general,
3) maintains a number of sock puppets for use when he's losing online arguments.
Your periodic reminder that @radiofreetom.bsky.social who many of you like to follow, and who writes for the Atlantic, was pushing the great replacement theory before Trump and has never apologized for it. He's part of what got us here.
November 23, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Also worth noting that he:
1) is utterly clueless about at least some of the topics he claim to be an expert in (i.e. international law),
2) is not very bright in general,
3) maintains a number of sock puppets for use when he's losing online arguments.
1) is utterly clueless about at least some of the topics he claim to be an expert in (i.e. international law),
2) is not very bright in general,
3) maintains a number of sock puppets for use when he's losing online arguments.
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The New York Times' story about Trump calling for the execution of members of Congress ran on Page 16 today, with an itty-bitty promo on the front about halfway down the page.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything.
November 21, 2025 at 6:13 PM
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
Jeez. Trump reposted a call to execute six Democratic members of Congress, and it’s not on the front page of the NY Times, and this is the headline—no mention of hanging lawmakers.
November 21, 2025 at 3:22 PM
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
ex-Twitter is a Nazi bar. It's owned by a Nazi and welcomes Nazis. That doesn't make everyone there a Nazi, but it is fair to ask why anyone would choose to hang out around Nazis. Some would have a good answer! Lots are just Nazi-tolerant.
"Don't go to Nazi bars" is a pretty good rule of thumb.
"Don't go to Nazi bars" is a pretty good rule of thumb.
If you're trying to convince your friends to spend time on Bluesky rather than X, maybe show them this. X is not "the public town square" or about "free speech." It's "just what Elon Musk wants you to see." If you see stuff he doesn't like he'll step in to make sure you don't see it for long.
If you scroll on X, you are only being shown what Elon wants you to see. If you create content on X, no one will see it unless Elon wants them to.
November 21, 2025 at 2:11 AM
ex-Twitter is a Nazi bar. It's owned by a Nazi and welcomes Nazis. That doesn't make everyone there a Nazi, but it is fair to ask why anyone would choose to hang out around Nazis. Some would have a good answer! Lots are just Nazi-tolerant.
"Don't go to Nazi bars" is a pretty good rule of thumb.
"Don't go to Nazi bars" is a pretty good rule of thumb.
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
Weird. Nothing on the @nytimes.com homepage about the President of the United States calling for the execution of members of the opposition in response to their political speech.
Important: House Dem leaders just said Trump's call for execution of Dems has prompted them to contact US Capitol Police and House Sergeant at Arms to "ensure the safety of these members and their families."
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
Treat Trump like an unhinged menace. He's weak and in deep political trouble. Don't let up.
November 20, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The NYT is broken and can't be fixed. It doesn't want to be fixed.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
The US has no paper of record. Cancel your subscription.
Leavitt is a liar.
More than that, she takes tax money specifically to lie to the American people.
More than that, she takes tax money specifically to lie to the American people.
Leavitt: Why aren't you talking about what these members of congress are doing to encourage violence…. They're literally saying to 1.3 million active duty service members not to follow lawful orders
Reporter: Actually they said illegal orders.
Reporter: Actually they said illegal orders.
November 20, 2025 at 7:23 PM
Leavitt is a liar.
More than that, she takes tax money specifically to lie to the American people.
More than that, she takes tax money specifically to lie to the American people.
Reposted by Annoyed Diplomat
coast guard personnel stationed in virginia should know that it's still a felony here to display a swastika or a noose in a public place with the intent to intimidate someone, but i guess once you're out to sea it's fair game to signal genocidal intent towards your shipmates???
This is fucking horrifying.
Swastikas and nooses are just “potentially divisive”? Are you kidding me?
Swastikas and nooses are just “potentially divisive”? Are you kidding me?
November 20, 2025 at 6:54 PM
coast guard personnel stationed in virginia should know that it's still a felony here to display a swastika or a noose in a public place with the intent to intimidate someone, but i guess once you're out to sea it's fair game to signal genocidal intent towards your shipmates???