Ben Strassfeld
@bstrassfeld.bsky.social
Film and media historian specializing in censorship history and the history of addiction in media. Author of Indecent Detroit: Race, Sex, and Censorship in the Motor City.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
any "drug war" is a pretext. has always been the case. some ppl genuinely want to help w/drug related problems & believe in bad ideas to do so. but politicians typically support drug wars only when they see as politically useful. bc if you actually want to help ppl, drug war policies won't do it.
Donald Trump is a very complicated person who contains multitudes. Lmfao
i just.
November 30, 2025 at 2:17 PM
any "drug war" is a pretext. has always been the case. some ppl genuinely want to help w/drug related problems & believe in bad ideas to do so. but politicians typically support drug wars only when they see as politically useful. bc if you actually want to help ppl, drug war policies won't do it.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
Yes. And. Even if he had, the government doesn’t have a right to intervene. The use of the FCC to regulate protected speech is textbook anti-constitutional.
Important to keep remembering and repeating that Kimmel didn't mock Charlie Kirk or celebrate his death in the monologue. He mocked the president's lack of feeling and criticized the regime.
September 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Yes. And. Even if he had, the government doesn’t have a right to intervene. The use of the FCC to regulate protected speech is textbook anti-constitutional.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
“what of the writers, the thinkers, and the pundits who cannot separate the great crime of Kirk’s death from the malignancy of his public life? Can they truly be so ignorant to the words of a man they have so rushed to memorialize?”
- Ta-Nehisi Coates
archive.ph/2025.09.16-2...
- Ta-Nehisi Coates
archive.ph/2025.09.16-2...
archive.ph
September 17, 2025 at 12:15 AM
“what of the writers, the thinkers, and the pundits who cannot separate the great crime of Kirk’s death from the malignancy of his public life? Can they truly be so ignorant to the words of a man they have so rushed to memorialize?”
- Ta-Nehisi Coates
archive.ph/2025.09.16-2...
- Ta-Nehisi Coates
archive.ph/2025.09.16-2...
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
Transgender studies professor Dr. Susan Stryker tears Gavin Newsom a new one while accepting the Transgender Legacy Award from the California state legislature 🔥🔥🔥 @susanstryker.bsky.social
August 25, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Transgender studies professor Dr. Susan Stryker tears Gavin Newsom a new one while accepting the Transgender Legacy Award from the California state legislature 🔥🔥🔥 @susanstryker.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
The trick to getting a PhD is to be the first person ever to find fascination in a deeply, insanely boring thing.
July 23, 2025 at 11:36 AM
The trick to getting a PhD is to be the first person ever to find fascination in a deeply, insanely boring thing.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
Trump’s team has delayed & is considering canceling $140M in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts.
The last time a major national interruption of addiction care occurred (in 2020 under Trump) deaths skyrocketed.
How can you interpret this any other way than they want Americans to die?
The last time a major national interruption of addiction care occurred (in 2020 under Trump) deaths skyrocketed.
How can you interpret this any other way than they want Americans to die?
Threats to $140 million in funds for public health departments battling fentanyl overdoses comes as some experts see the addiction safety net unraveling.
Exclusive: Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight
Threats to $140 million in funds for public health departments battling fentanyl overdoses comes as some experts see the addiction safety net unraveling.
n.pr
July 16, 2025 at 8:05 PM
Trump’s team has delayed & is considering canceling $140M in grants to fund fentanyl overdose response efforts.
The last time a major national interruption of addiction care occurred (in 2020 under Trump) deaths skyrocketed.
How can you interpret this any other way than they want Americans to die?
The last time a major national interruption of addiction care occurred (in 2020 under Trump) deaths skyrocketed.
How can you interpret this any other way than they want Americans to die?
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
If you are in any way shape or form someone who both is *and* understands what it means for you to *be* in contact with an archive of material, you need to start doing whatever it takes to protect those archives, right now.
April 7, 2025 at 4:40 AM
If you are in any way shape or form someone who both is *and* understands what it means for you to *be* in contact with an archive of material, you need to start doing whatever it takes to protect those archives, right now.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
truly one of the most disgusting ledes I’ve ever read in the NYT
April 4, 2025 at 3:23 AM
truly one of the most disgusting ledes I’ve ever read in the NYT
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
a person with zero experience in drug policy is now "drug czar".... historically, the job has mainly been propaganda
I mean, do what you want, but it is OK to have like one or two people who are selected for competence rather than loyalty. It’s OK to have someone who isn’t a friend of Sean Hannity. Honest.
Trump chooses Fox News contributor Sara Carter as next drug czar
President Trump again turns to Fox News talent, nominating reporter Sara Carter as the next 'drug czar.'
www.statnews.com
March 29, 2025 at 12:54 AM
a person with zero experience in drug policy is now "drug czar".... historically, the job has mainly been propaganda
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
SAMHSA funds groups that distribute naloxone to the people who need it most & help people with substance use disorder gain stability in their lives. Trump's funding cuts threaten their work & jeopardizes essential services like overdose prevention services: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/h... #drugsky
Federal Agency Dedicated to Mental Illness and Addiction Faces Huge Cuts (Gift Article)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has already closed offices and could see staff numbers reduced by 50 percent.
www.nytimes.com
March 14, 2025 at 1:44 PM
SAMHSA funds groups that distribute naloxone to the people who need it most & help people with substance use disorder gain stability in their lives. Trump's funding cuts threaten their work & jeopardizes essential services like overdose prevention services: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/12/h... #drugsky
Never ceases to amaze me how tech companies are infinitely more concerned about pornography appearing on their platforms than they are self-proclaimed Nazis praising Hitler
www.yahoo.com/news/elon-mu...
www.yahoo.com/news/elon-mu...
February 10, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Never ceases to amaze me how tech companies are infinitely more concerned about pornography appearing on their platforms than they are self-proclaimed Nazis praising Hitler
www.yahoo.com/news/elon-mu...
www.yahoo.com/news/elon-mu...
It's amazing that people are still falling for the right wing "free speech warrior" grift. The far right has never believed in free speech, and over and over they have shown that once in power they will suppress the speech of journalists, marginalized groups, and anyone who questions them.
Incredible that almost every DC press outlet ran with Brendan Carr's self-branding as a "free speech warrior" and his first major actions as Chair of the FCC have been to weaponize the agency to bully media outlets over press coverage that Trump doesn't like
The FCC has opened an investigation into a radio station's news coverage of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
www.kqed.org/news/1202597...
www.kqed.org/news/1202597...
February 7, 2025 at 7:12 PM
It's amazing that people are still falling for the right wing "free speech warrior" grift. The far right has never believed in free speech, and over and over they have shown that once in power they will suppress the speech of journalists, marginalized groups, and anyone who questions them.
The news is so fucking bleak these days that I sometimes forget that there are still many people actively trying to resist this administration. So on that note, god fucking bless Dr. Jeffrey Birnbaum and any other doctors out there defending trans kids right now
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/n...
February 2, 2025 at 1:15 AM
The news is so fucking bleak these days that I sometimes forget that there are still many people actively trying to resist this administration. So on that note, god fucking bless Dr. Jeffrey Birnbaum and any other doctors out there defending trans kids right now
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/n...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/n...
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
You can spend as much time as you want trying to analyze certain isolated actions and empty words but they don’t change facts.
The playbook this administration and the party are going with is very much anti-harm reduction.
And letting them accomplish their goals is going to harm American citizens.
The playbook this administration and the party are going with is very much anti-harm reduction.
And letting them accomplish their goals is going to harm American citizens.
RFK Jr.'s drug policy under Trump could worsen the overdose crisis, experts warn
Trump prioritizes criminalization over public health in fighting the overdose crisis. Experts say that doesn't work
www.salon.com
February 1, 2025 at 1:47 AM
You can spend as much time as you want trying to analyze certain isolated actions and empty words but they don’t change facts.
The playbook this administration and the party are going with is very much anti-harm reduction.
And letting them accomplish their goals is going to harm American citizens.
The playbook this administration and the party are going with is very much anti-harm reduction.
And letting them accomplish their goals is going to harm American citizens.
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
Harm reduction doesn't encourage or enable drug use; banning syringes & naloxone & using jail to try to push treatment simply spreads infectious disease & death. how many times do we need to run this experiment to get it?
Public health workers in West Virginia struggle to contain an HIV outbreak while policymakers restricted syringe exchange programs.
Here's what you need to know. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Here's what you need to know. ⤵️ kffhealthnews.org/news/article...
Syringe Exchange Fears Hobble Fight Against West Virginia HIV Outbreak - KFF Health News
Health workers and researchers say an HIV outbreak in West Virginia that three years ago was called “the most concerning” in the U.S. continues to spread after state and local officials restricted syr...
kffhealthnews.org
January 3, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Harm reduction doesn't encourage or enable drug use; banning syringes & naloxone & using jail to try to push treatment simply spreads infectious disease & death. how many times do we need to run this experiment to get it?
Reposted by Ben Strassfeld
My favorite part of Star Wars was the scene where the Resistance leaders decide against trying to destroy the Death Star and instead kick in $1 million each for Palpatine's inauguration.
December 15, 2024 at 7:17 PM
My favorite part of Star Wars was the scene where the Resistance leaders decide against trying to destroy the Death Star and instead kick in $1 million each for Palpatine's inauguration.
Even not terrible articles about porn studies like this one are so focused on questions about the casual effects of pornography on viewers that they end up reaffirming that as the essential issue surrounding pornography, as opposed to porn being a cultural object worth studying in and of itself
Let’s Talk About Pornography. No, Seriously.
More adolescents than ever are watching it. What’s needed, researchers say, are frank conversations and “porn literacy.”
www.nytimes.com
December 12, 2024 at 7:28 PM
Even not terrible articles about porn studies like this one are so focused on questions about the casual effects of pornography on viewers that they end up reaffirming that as the essential issue surrounding pornography, as opposed to porn being a cultural object worth studying in and of itself
People need to start taking seriously that Trump has repeatedly called for the death penalty for people caught dealing drugs. It is fucking terrifying that the soon-to-be president thinks that's a good idea for how to deal with drug addiction in this country.
November 26, 2024 at 2:48 PM
People need to start taking seriously that Trump has repeatedly called for the death penalty for people caught dealing drugs. It is fucking terrifying that the soon-to-be president thinks that's a good idea for how to deal with drug addiction in this country.