Brad Smith
@demand-integrity.org
Retired federal IT senior manager. Hay farmer. Open source maintainer.
Reposted by Brad Smith
This is evil and illegal fascism AND even the internal logic is incoherent. ICE just got a new budget larger than most armies. Yet they are claiming these manly ICE agents are losing a fight to some vegan non-binary grad students in Temu gas masks unless the full military saves them.
Trump says he’s authorized Hegseth to use “Full Force” against Antifa in “War ravaged” Portland
September 27, 2025 at 7:48 PM
This is evil and illegal fascism AND even the internal logic is incoherent. ICE just got a new budget larger than most armies. Yet they are claiming these manly ICE agents are losing a fight to some vegan non-binary grad students in Temu gas masks unless the full military saves them.
Reposted by Brad Smith
# of paragraphs for news orgs to mention there's no discernable need to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon
The Guardian: 1st paragraph
BBC: 4th paragraph
AP: 5th paragraph
Time: 6th paragraph
Politico: 8th paragraph
NPR: 9th paragraph
CNN: 10th paragraph
NBC: 12th paragraph
Fox News: never mentions
The Guardian: 1st paragraph
BBC: 4th paragraph
AP: 5th paragraph
Time: 6th paragraph
Politico: 8th paragraph
NPR: 9th paragraph
CNN: 10th paragraph
NBC: 12th paragraph
Fox News: never mentions
September 27, 2025 at 7:24 PM
# of paragraphs for news orgs to mention there's no discernable need to deploy troops to Portland, Oregon
The Guardian: 1st paragraph
BBC: 4th paragraph
AP: 5th paragraph
Time: 6th paragraph
Politico: 8th paragraph
NPR: 9th paragraph
CNN: 10th paragraph
NBC: 12th paragraph
Fox News: never mentions
The Guardian: 1st paragraph
BBC: 4th paragraph
AP: 5th paragraph
Time: 6th paragraph
Politico: 8th paragraph
NPR: 9th paragraph
CNN: 10th paragraph
NBC: 12th paragraph
Fox News: never mentions
Reposted by Brad Smith
Reposted by Brad Smith
My friend @jonahblank.bsky.social knows Afgh and its region very well. As a scholar. As a working reporter and book-writer. As a government official.
Thread very much worth reading.
Whoever wrote and approved this lunatic editorial for the WaPo should at least put his/her name behind it.
Thread very much worth reading.
Whoever wrote and approved this lunatic editorial for the WaPo should at least put his/her name behind it.
Whoever wrote this @washingtonpost.com editorial has no understanding of military affairs-- and has not been reading two decades of the Post's coverage of the war in #Afghanistan:
♦️There is no way to hold #Bagram without the cooperation of the Taliban, or a Berlin Airlift level of resupply.
Brief 🧵
♦️There is no way to hold #Bagram without the cooperation of the Taliban, or a Berlin Airlift level of resupply.
Brief 🧵
September 21, 2025 at 8:23 PM
My friend @jonahblank.bsky.social knows Afgh and its region very well. As a scholar. As a working reporter and book-writer. As a government official.
Thread very much worth reading.
Whoever wrote and approved this lunatic editorial for the WaPo should at least put his/her name behind it.
Thread very much worth reading.
Whoever wrote and approved this lunatic editorial for the WaPo should at least put his/her name behind it.
Reposted by Brad Smith
To all my fellow Oregonians, remember that there is a citizen of our state (Ben Edtl) who is currently attempting to overturn vote by mail. Spread the word and make sure keep our treasured vote-with-your-coffee-in-your-jammies the law of Oregon.
September 20, 2025 at 3:45 PM
To all my fellow Oregonians, remember that there is a citizen of our state (Ben Edtl) who is currently attempting to overturn vote by mail. Spread the word and make sure keep our treasured vote-with-your-coffee-in-your-jammies the law of Oregon.
Reposted by Brad Smith
/11 One day the Trumpists will fall. Something has to emerge from that. I'd prefer it be an honest and accountable rule of law, one actually run on principles and not on luxury motor homes, rather on the whim of some other group of strongmen.
September 9, 2025 at 7:25 PM
/11 One day the Trumpists will fall. Something has to emerge from that. I'd prefer it be an honest and accountable rule of law, one actually run on principles and not on luxury motor homes, rather on the whim of some other group of strongmen.
Reposted by Brad Smith
When it takes a good engineer two days to recreate an accessible version "design studio" that DOGE people are extolling, you know the "design studio" sucks.
May I present to you americabydesign.fail
May I present to you americabydesign.fail
America by Design Fail
Trump fired the best designers in the Federal Government
americabydesign.fail
August 26, 2025 at 8:35 PM
When it takes a good engineer two days to recreate an accessible version "design studio" that DOGE people are extolling, you know the "design studio" sucks.
May I present to you americabydesign.fail
May I present to you americabydesign.fail
Reposted by Brad Smith
re: americabydesign.gov
So, instead of just doing nothing, aka letting the existing, staffed, cost-efficient, scaled, structured, tested, proven, award-winning, design-forward work of @alt18f.bsky.social, @altusds.altgov.info, Direct File, etc, continue, we get… this edgy, inaccessible mess. k.
So, instead of just doing nothing, aka letting the existing, staffed, cost-efficient, scaled, structured, tested, proven, award-winning, design-forward work of @alt18f.bsky.social, @altusds.altgov.info, Direct File, etc, continue, we get… this edgy, inaccessible mess. k.
August 25, 2025 at 8:46 PM
re: americabydesign.gov
So, instead of just doing nothing, aka letting the existing, staffed, cost-efficient, scaled, structured, tested, proven, award-winning, design-forward work of @alt18f.bsky.social, @altusds.altgov.info, Direct File, etc, continue, we get… this edgy, inaccessible mess. k.
So, instead of just doing nothing, aka letting the existing, staffed, cost-efficient, scaled, structured, tested, proven, award-winning, design-forward work of @alt18f.bsky.social, @altusds.altgov.info, Direct File, etc, continue, we get… this edgy, inaccessible mess. k.
Reposted by Brad Smith
After DOGE gutted our Digital Service/18F, these pitiful amateurs (check out their ugly code) bring back braggadocio and propaganda without actual expertise. It’s the Peter Principle Administration.
We were already doing this. They fired ~20 of our designers on 2/14 and completely blew up @alt18f.bsky.social on 2/28.
Then they install an engineer and create bad websites like this. Don't look at the code, you'll cry. They can't do anything well and they're acting like design is a new idea
Then they install an engineer and create bad websites like this. Don't look at the code, you'll cry. They can't do anything well and they're acting like design is a new idea
I've been stewing about this for a few days now but I just can't contain it anymore. what the fuck is this bullshit. americabydesign.gov
August 25, 2025 at 3:45 PM
After DOGE gutted our Digital Service/18F, these pitiful amateurs (check out their ugly code) bring back braggadocio and propaganda without actual expertise. It’s the Peter Principle Administration.
Reposted by Brad Smith
These days, “cruelty is the coin of the realm; it’s the way to get ahead,” Peter Wehner writes. “The only way out of this wreckage is to rewrite the cultural script, to make excellence in character admired again”:
The Virtue of Integrity
The only way out of our wreckage is to rewrite the cultural script, to make excellence in character admired again.
bit.ly
August 13, 2025 at 11:45 AM
These days, “cruelty is the coin of the realm; it’s the way to get ahead,” Peter Wehner writes. “The only way out of this wreckage is to rewrite the cultural script, to make excellence in character admired again”:
Reposted by Brad Smith
Republicans aren’t even trying to defend their bill anymore. Just straight up lying and hoping people fall for it.
WELKER: Why would Josh Hawley introduce a bill to roll back cuts in Medicaid if there are not cuts in Medicaid? He says the people in his state are going to suffer
MIKE JOHNSON: I will tell you that the one big beautiful bill safeguards the program
MIKE JOHNSON: I will tell you that the one big beautiful bill safeguards the program
July 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Republicans aren’t even trying to defend their bill anymore. Just straight up lying and hoping people fall for it.
Reposted by Brad Smith
Honestly, it's worse, it's dumber, and it's more dishonest than I had expected, and I've ridden in a few of these tariff rodeos.
July 25, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Honestly, it's worse, it's dumber, and it's more dishonest than I had expected, and I've ridden in a few of these tariff rodeos.
Reposted by Brad Smith
It's been a little disheartening to hear so much confusion in the reporting on Trump's new trade deal with Japan. So let me try to clarify.
July 24, 2025 at 7:10 PM
It's been a little disheartening to hear so much confusion in the reporting on Trump's new trade deal with Japan. So let me try to clarify.
Reposted by Brad Smith
I’ve got 5 town halls coming up. I hope to see you there.
July 22, 2025 at 11:03 PM
I’ve got 5 town halls coming up. I hope to see you there.
Reposted by Brad Smith
We seriously need a crowdfunding campaign to put a billboard up like this everywhere
July 12, 2025 at 9:43 PM
We seriously need a crowdfunding campaign to put a billboard up like this everywhere
Reposted by Brad Smith
time to put granny in the fields and deploy the agricultural robots that don't exist and aren't being developed after we gutted science funding
Brooke Rollins on farm laborers: "There will be no amnesty. The mass deportations continue, but in a strategic way. And we move the workforce toward automation and 100% American participation, which with 34 million able-bodied on Medicaid we should be able to do fairly quickly."
July 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM
time to put granny in the fields and deploy the agricultural robots that don't exist and aren't being developed after we gutted science funding
Reposted by Brad Smith
Over the weekend I wrote about the import of the different way small-l liberals and right wingers use language -- transparently versus utilitarian.
www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/06/s...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/06/s...
Seeing Language as a Tool of Authoritarianism - emptywheel
When you speak on social media, are you saying or are you doing?
www.emptywheel.net
July 7, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Over the weekend I wrote about the import of the different way small-l liberals and right wingers use language -- transparently versus utilitarian.
www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/06/s...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/07/06/s...
Reposted by Brad Smith
Spot on. This is the clearest explanation I’ve seen. It ‘s relatable, and humanizes the issue in a way everyone can understand.
June 28, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Spot on. This is the clearest explanation I’ve seen. It ‘s relatable, and humanizes the issue in a way everyone can understand.
Reposted by Brad Smith
Much as I would not dare to predict the consequences of this war, I do think we can summarize it thusly so far:
A smart and evil man manipulated a stupid and evil man into a war against a fanatical and evil regime.
A smart and evil man manipulated a stupid and evil man into a war against a fanatical and evil regime.
June 22, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Much as I would not dare to predict the consequences of this war, I do think we can summarize it thusly so far:
A smart and evil man manipulated a stupid and evil man into a war against a fanatical and evil regime.
A smart and evil man manipulated a stupid and evil man into a war against a fanatical and evil regime.
Reposted by Brad Smith
Here's something I am very excited about: Photosynthesis! 🌱☀️
A proposal to have CAs run transparency logs and make X.509 certificates out of Merkle Tree inclusion proofs.
This is similar to how CT would have worked in an ideal world, and it solves the problem of PQC sizes in logs and handshakes.
A proposal to have CAs run transparency logs and make X.509 certificates out of Merkle Tree inclusion proofs.
This is similar to how CT would have worked in an ideal world, and it solves the problem of PQC sizes in logs and handshakes.
[TLS] Photosynthesis, an update to Merkle Tree Certificates
Photosynthesis combines the Static CT API with the ideas in Merkle Tree Certificates.
mailarchive.ietf.org
June 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Here's something I am very excited about: Photosynthesis! 🌱☀️
A proposal to have CAs run transparency logs and make X.509 certificates out of Merkle Tree inclusion proofs.
This is similar to how CT would have worked in an ideal world, and it solves the problem of PQC sizes in logs and handshakes.
A proposal to have CAs run transparency logs and make X.509 certificates out of Merkle Tree inclusion proofs.
This is similar to how CT would have worked in an ideal world, and it solves the problem of PQC sizes in logs and handshakes.
Reposted by Brad Smith
Big deal
🚨 There’s a lot of horrific news out of Washington right now—but you might have missed this: Senate Republicans just introduced a plan to sell off 120 million acres of our public lands.
Let me break down what’s in the bill and why it’s a full-scale land grab. 🧵
Let me break down what’s in the bill and why it’s a full-scale land grab. 🧵
June 17, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Big deal
Reposted by Brad Smith
This is unfathomably shameful. How do we even have to debate this? Why would anyone ever again be so foolish as to trust or help the United States if this is how we treat people who risk their lives on our behalf?
An Afghan man who worked as a translator for the U.S. military during the war was detained by ICE after showing up for a hearing inside of a federal courthouse in San Diego, his attorney says. He fears that if he returns to Afghanistan, he would be tortured or even killed, @nbcsandiego.com reports.
June 17, 2025 at 2:35 AM
This is unfathomably shameful. How do we even have to debate this? Why would anyone ever again be so foolish as to trust or help the United States if this is how we treat people who risk their lives on our behalf?
Reposted by Brad Smith
Sure looks like UT used taxpayer dollars to engage a PR firm on a propaganda push to build public support for seizing our #PublicLands. Sheesh.
www.linkedin.com/posts/next-i...
www.linkedin.com/posts/next-i...
If you love our Nation's #PublicLands, regardless of whether you live in Utah or not, you should be sure to check out this investigative reporting from Jimmy Tobias at Public Domain on the state&#...
If you love our Nation's #PublicLands, regardless of whether you live in Utah or not, you should be sure to check out this investigative reporting from Jimmy Tobias at Public Domain on the state&#...
www.linkedin.com
June 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Sure looks like UT used taxpayer dollars to engage a PR firm on a propaganda push to build public support for seizing our #PublicLands. Sheesh.
www.linkedin.com/posts/next-i...
www.linkedin.com/posts/next-i...
I had to laugh with joy and amazement. This came across my Mastodon feed. Apologies for not knowing the original source.
@gtconway.bsky.social
@gtconway.bsky.social
May 19, 2025 at 4:36 PM
I had to laugh with joy and amazement. This came across my Mastodon feed. Apologies for not knowing the original source.
@gtconway.bsky.social
@gtconway.bsky.social
Reposted by Brad Smith
Journalists' Persistent Willingness to Chase Trump's Squirrels, Biden Recording Edition
www.emptywheel.net/2025/05/17/j...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/05/17/j...
Journalists' Persistent Willingness to Chase Trump's Squirrels, Biden Recording Edition - emptywheel
Most of the people commenting on what two excerpts of Joe Biden's interview with Robert Hur exhibit no understanding they're listening to cherry-picked excerpts.
www.emptywheel.net
May 17, 2025 at 10:53 AM
Journalists' Persistent Willingness to Chase Trump's Squirrels, Biden Recording Edition
www.emptywheel.net/2025/05/17/j...
www.emptywheel.net/2025/05/17/j...