David Simon
@audacityofdespair.bsky.social
Dramatist, author, apostate newspaperman specializing in artisanal contempt and discerning maledicta. The claim that I am the angriest man in television is faint praise indeed; the second angriest is yelling at an agent because residual checks are late.
As I used to say to anyone who was sloganeering the abolition of the carceral state: "That will be wonderful and I hope I'm alive to see all the prison doors pulled open. But someone is going to murder someone tonight in the 1200 block of North Durham Street. Or thereabouts."
November 10, 2025 at 11:58 PM
As I used to say to anyone who was sloganeering the abolition of the carceral state: "That will be wonderful and I hope I'm alive to see all the prison doors pulled open. But someone is going to murder someone tonight in the 1200 block of North Durham Street. Or thereabouts."
For them to now be holding themselves up as hands-clean arbiters of public accountability, given their own performance, hinges on a measure of real hypocrisy.
November 10, 2025 at 11:16 PM
For them to now be holding themselves up as hands-clean arbiters of public accountability, given their own performance, hinges on a measure of real hypocrisy.
Again, I am not offering no EQUIVANCY. You are doing that. I am instead citing the FBI's earlier retreat from accountability as creating a PRECEDENT that encourages others to also deny public information to citizens. If the nation's preeminent police agency shirks this ethic, others will as well.
November 10, 2025 at 11:13 PM
Again, I am not offering no EQUIVANCY. You are doing that. I am instead citing the FBI's earlier retreat from accountability as creating a PRECEDENT that encourages others to also deny public information to citizens. If the nation's preeminent police agency shirks this ethic, others will as well.
In no way am I suggesting the performance of the FBI, as trained and purposed as they are, is comparable to the thuggery and mission of ICE. I am noting the FBI has itself been complicit in using anonymity to cover its collective ass rather than remain consistently accountable to the public.
November 10, 2025 at 9:58 PM
In no way am I suggesting the performance of the FBI, as trained and purposed as they are, is comparable to the thuggery and mission of ICE. I am noting the FBI has itself been complicit in using anonymity to cover its collective ass rather than remain consistently accountable to the public.
Regrettably, there is apparently no law that says federal agents have to identify themselves. It was always simply taken as a premise of competent, ethical law enforcement. Which of course means nothing to anyone doing the work of ICE.
November 10, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Regrettably, there is apparently no law that says federal agents have to identify themselves. It was always simply taken as a premise of competent, ethical law enforcement. Which of course means nothing to anyone doing the work of ICE.
My point is that while ICE are poorly trained thugs whose anonymity is destructive to the credibility of all law enfrocement, the FBI -- for all its training -- operates within the same sort of anonymity when it comes to its own agents and the use of force. It is unethical there as well.
November 10, 2025 at 9:22 PM
My point is that while ICE are poorly trained thugs whose anonymity is destructive to the credibility of all law enfrocement, the FBI -- for all its training -- operates within the same sort of anonymity when it comes to its own agents and the use of force. It is unethical there as well.
Maybe a little little less cyncism about the necessity for good police work and the costs of bad police work and the possibility of changing the mission would do you a world of good.
End the drug war. Stop mass arrest. Police the police.
Target violence. Change the fucking mission.
End the drug war. Stop mass arrest. Police the police.
Target violence. Change the fucking mission.
November 10, 2025 at 7:29 PM
Maybe a little little less cyncism about the necessity for good police work and the costs of bad police work and the possibility of changing the mission would do you a world of good.
End the drug war. Stop mass arrest. Police the police.
Target violence. Change the fucking mission.
End the drug war. Stop mass arrest. Police the police.
Target violence. Change the fucking mission.
Evidence okay. Baltimore was locking up 100,000 humans a year, but numbers of those arrested for violence dropped. Worst year in history for murder 2022. Two years ago, new approach. Now looking up maybe a fifth as many -- but twice as many for shootings, guns. Murder rate halved.
November 10, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Evidence okay. Baltimore was locking up 100,000 humans a year, but numbers of those arrested for violence dropped. Worst year in history for murder 2022. Two years ago, new approach. Now looking up maybe a fifth as many -- but twice as many for shootings, guns. Murder rate halved.
I've argued what I would do extensively. So you should know.
November 10, 2025 at 7:26 PM
I've argued what I would do extensively. So you should know.
Same horses. Better jockeys. And we are between races right now. This fight has collapsed. The next one will arrive shortly.
Other than that your metaphor kicks ass.
And I do not agree about the losing hand. I think we were defending Americans and it was resonating that the GOP was threat.
Other than that your metaphor kicks ass.
And I do not agree about the losing hand. I think we were defending Americans and it was resonating that the GOP was threat.
November 10, 2025 at 7:19 PM
Same horses. Better jockeys. And we are between races right now. This fight has collapsed. The next one will arrive shortly.
Other than that your metaphor kicks ass.
And I do not agree about the losing hand. I think we were defending Americans and it was resonating that the GOP was threat.
Other than that your metaphor kicks ass.
And I do not agree about the losing hand. I think we were defending Americans and it was resonating that the GOP was threat.
Not going to blame the media for pretending that words don't mean what they do. Defund is definitive. Whoever came up with it was a political incompetent.
Plenty of other choices that told the truth in plain words but weren't a raw provocation.
Plenty of other choices that told the truth in plain words but weren't a raw provocation.
November 10, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Not going to blame the media for pretending that words don't mean what they do. Defund is definitive. Whoever came up with it was a political incompetent.
Plenty of other choices that told the truth in plain words but weren't a raw provocation.
Plenty of other choices that told the truth in plain words but weren't a raw provocation.
Well, to be analogous in full, Lincoln did not stop supporting the Army of The Potomac or imagine a different army altogether. He got better generals for the soldiers, who otherwise were quite ready to fight and win.
November 10, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Well, to be analogous in full, Lincoln did not stop supporting the Army of The Potomac or imagine a different army altogether. He got better generals for the soldiers, who otherwise were quite ready to fight and win.
It's not like the BPD all became socially aware. They seem to have tasked themselves or been tasked with the fundamental priority, however. Target repeat violent offenders.
Once we locked up 100,000 a people a year in this city.
Now maybe a fifth of that. But more shooters in that number.
Once we locked up 100,000 a people a year in this city.
Now maybe a fifth of that. But more shooters in that number.
November 10, 2025 at 7:13 PM
It's not like the BPD all became socially aware. They seem to have tasked themselves or been tasked with the fundamental priority, however. Target repeat violent offenders.
Once we locked up 100,000 a people a year in this city.
Now maybe a fifth of that. But more shooters in that number.
Once we locked up 100,000 a people a year in this city.
Now maybe a fifth of that. But more shooters in that number.
Abolish prisons was even more fun as rhetoric and theater.
End mass incarceration, sure? Sentencing reform? Yes. Promote alternative sentencing? Shrink the carceral state? Sign me up.
Nah. Abolish.
As if words don't have real meaning.
End mass incarceration, sure? Sentencing reform? Yes. Promote alternative sentencing? Shrink the carceral state? Sign me up.
Nah. Abolish.
As if words don't have real meaning.
November 10, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Abolish prisons was even more fun as rhetoric and theater.
End mass incarceration, sure? Sentencing reform? Yes. Promote alternative sentencing? Shrink the carceral state? Sign me up.
Nah. Abolish.
As if words don't have real meaning.
End mass incarceration, sure? Sentencing reform? Yes. Promote alternative sentencing? Shrink the carceral state? Sign me up.
Nah. Abolish.
As if words don't have real meaning.
You need decent slogans: End the Drug War. Police The Police. Demilitarize The Police. End Mass Arrest. Change The Mission.
This is not hard. But yes, if you need your slogans to be hyperbolic and all-encompassing, then enjoy. But don't expect to capture political allies or create change.
This is not hard. But yes, if you need your slogans to be hyperbolic and all-encompassing, then enjoy. But don't expect to capture political allies or create change.
November 10, 2025 at 7:09 PM
You need decent slogans: End the Drug War. Police The Police. Demilitarize The Police. End Mass Arrest. Change The Mission.
This is not hard. But yes, if you need your slogans to be hyperbolic and all-encompassing, then enjoy. But don't expect to capture political allies or create change.
This is not hard. But yes, if you need your slogans to be hyperbolic and all-encompassing, then enjoy. But don't expect to capture political allies or create change.
Did you read Arendt? Shirer?
The fight is now. Not tomorrow. There is nothing to save the powder for. This party just took the momentum of a week ago -- and the hope that so many who went to polls felt -- and pissed all over it. Fight or die. Now.
The fight is now. Not tomorrow. There is nothing to save the powder for. This party just took the momentum of a week ago -- and the hope that so many who went to polls felt -- and pissed all over it. Fight or die. Now.
November 10, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Did you read Arendt? Shirer?
The fight is now. Not tomorrow. There is nothing to save the powder for. This party just took the momentum of a week ago -- and the hope that so many who went to polls felt -- and pissed all over it. Fight or die. Now.
The fight is now. Not tomorrow. There is nothing to save the powder for. This party just took the momentum of a week ago -- and the hope that so many who went to polls felt -- and pissed all over it. Fight or die. Now.
Where will you put it otherwise?
The first rule of politics is that it can always, always get worse.
The first rule of politics is that it can always, always get worse.
November 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Where will you put it otherwise?
The first rule of politics is that it can always, always get worse.
The first rule of politics is that it can always, always get worse.
I like the cut of their jib.
But if not them, then try else.
Whitehouse, maybe. Ossoff...
We know what has failed. It is time for new leadership.
But if not them, then try else.
Whitehouse, maybe. Ossoff...
We know what has failed. It is time for new leadership.
November 10, 2025 at 7:04 PM
I like the cut of their jib.
But if not them, then try else.
Whitehouse, maybe. Ossoff...
We know what has failed. It is time for new leadership.
But if not them, then try else.
Whitehouse, maybe. Ossoff...
We know what has failed. It is time for new leadership.
...bad police and bad police work and policy endure because no coalition can be built for actual reform. Just a bunch a self-purifying sloganeers yelling their favorite rant.
November 10, 2025 at 7:01 PM
...bad police and bad police work and policy endure because no coalition can be built for actual reform. Just a bunch a self-purifying sloganeers yelling their favorite rant.
But also, and empirically, those slogans are shit not because they lose the political center required to support real reform, but because they are lies. All cops are not bastards. And police agencies can't be defunded as a whole because better crime response is essential. Meanwhile...
November 10, 2025 at 6:59 PM
But also, and empirically, those slogans are shit not because they lose the political center required to support real reform, but because they are lies. All cops are not bastards. And police agencies can't be defunded as a whole because better crime response is essential. Meanwhile...
When you execute political pratfalls as we Democrats just did and then you blame voters of any cohort for failing to arrive with their votes, you are a fucking fool twice over.
November 10, 2025 at 6:55 PM
When you execute political pratfalls as we Democrats just did and then you blame voters of any cohort for failing to arrive with their votes, you are a fucking fool twice over.
Moronic. Look at what those slogans achieved in actuality in terms of police reform? Look at the extraordinary number of center-left and centrist voters who walked away from those campaigns as fast as their legs could carry them. The messaging was a complete political pratfall. Still is.
November 10, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Moronic. Look at what those slogans achieved in actuality in terms of police reform? Look at the extraordinary number of center-left and centrist voters who walked away from those campaigns as fast as their legs could carry them. The messaging was a complete political pratfall. Still is.
Then fuck the lot of them. Cowards all.
November 10, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Then fuck the lot of them. Cowards all.