no #AltText yadda yadda: screenshot of bluesky post by Thomas Havey quoted by a Spencer or “Unpop Sci”, discussing with a close up shot of steel bullets without their rubber casings, why it is imperative to NOT call them rubber bullets: they do kill.
during #Ferguson protests, wrote on Xitter a thread about how tear gas was banned as a chemical weapon by the UN; but USA is within a handful of countries that use it against its own citizens.
Sarah Ferguson says she is ‘sure’ the late Queen Elizabeth is talking to her through her corgis https://www.inbella.com/1052362/sarah-ferguson-says-she-is-sure-the-late-queen-elizabeth-is-talking-to-her-through-her-corgis/ #Corgis #Elizabeth #Events&Appearances #ferguson #Gossip #late #News #QUEEN #Royal #RoyalFamilies #RoyalGossip #Royals #RoyalsGossip #sarah #talking
'Chatham House Rule'
Torenberg launched Chatham House the summer of 2024,
naming it after a British think tank that formalized the insight that
trusted conversations require a degree of privacy.
Two of its conservative participants said they see the group as a way to shift centrist Trump-curious figures to the Republican side,
but its founder said he’d begun it to have “a left-right exchange where we could have real conversations because of filter bubble group chats.”
Chatham House includes high-profile figures like the economist
#Larry #Summers and the historian #Niall #Ferguson,
and more partisan figures like #Shapiro and the Democratic analyst #David #Shor.
#Andreessen lurks.
But several participants described it to me as something like a gladiatorial arena with #Cuban most often in the center,
sparring with conservatives.
(“no idea what you are talking about :)” Cuban emailed in response to an inquiry about his arguments on Chatham House.)
The Group Chat Era depended on part of the American elite feeling shut out from public spaces,
and on the formation of a new conservative consensus.
Both of those are now fading
(though Torenberg has invested in a company called #ChatBCC that wants to commercialize the heady experience of sitting in on texts among the power elite).
Since Elon Musk turned X to the right
and an alternative media ecosystem emerged on Substack,
“a tremendous amount of the verboten conversations can now shift back into public view,” Andreessen told Fridman.
“It’s much healthier to live in a society in which people are literally not scared of what they’re saying.”
And Trump’s destabilizing “Liberation Day” has taken its toll on the coalition Andreessen helped shape.
You can see it on X,
where investors joke that they’ll put pronouns back in their bios in exchange for a return to the 2024 stock prices,
and where #Srinivasan has been a leading critic of Trump’s tariffs.
“Group chats have changed on the economy in the last few weeks,”
said #Rufo.
“There’s a big split on the tech right.”
The polarity of social media has also reversed,
and while participants used to keep their conservative ideas off social media,
“now the anti-Trump sentiment is what you’re afraid to say on X,” one said.
By mid-April, #Sacks had had enough with Chatham House:
“This group has become worthless since the loudest voices have TDS,”
he wrote, shorthanding
“Trump Derangement Syndrome.”
Then he addressed Torenberg:
“You should create a new one with just smart people.”
Signal soon showed that three men had left the group:
The Sequoia partner #Shaun #Maguire,
the bitcoin billionaire #Tyler #Winklevoss, and #Tucker #Carlson.
https://www.semafor.com/article/04/27/2025/the-group-chats-that-changed-america
Edward Crawford was lynched; as well as 5 other #Ferguson activists:
“Edward Crawford, protester who was the subject of an iconic Ferguson photo, has died - St. Louis American”
https://www.stlamerican.com/news/local-news/edward-crawford-protester-who-was-the-subject-of-an-iconic-ferguson-photo-has-died/
“Ferguson Activists Question Deaths of Six Men Connected to Protests” https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/ferguson-death-mystery-black-lives-matter-michael-brown-809407/
as soon as The White Gaze™ left them for the next big thing, the fascists lynched them.
this is what we mean by white complicity.
Sigh. My bike was stolen. It's not fancy/expensive/valuable, but I would love to have it back. It's recognizable — I just had a black cargo rack installed over the back wheel last fall.
Anyway, it's a long shot, but if you're in Ferguson / North St. Louis County and see it anywhere, give me a shout!
The Students Walk Out in #LosAngeles
A Report from the Streets
#CrimethInc, 2025-02-13
"In the opening weeks of Donald #Trump’s second presidency, some of the fiercest expressions of defiance have come from the communities that Trump is threatening to attack. In Los Angeles, students have engaged in weeks of walkouts and other protests against the mass deportations Trump promised. In #Cincinnati, the historically Black community #LincolnHeights responded to a #NeoNazi rally by chasing off the #WhiteSupremacists, burning their #swastika flags, and conducting an armed watch lest they attempt to return.
"Both of these communities draw on deep roots of resistance. The students in Los Angeles are walking out in the footsteps of previous student rebels, including those who participated in the historic protests of 2006 against the repression of the undocumented. People in Cincinnati rose in rebellion in 2001 against police violence, foreshadowing the movement that got underway in response to the murder of Oscar Grant in 2008 and arrived on the world stage in 2014 with the uprising in #Ferguson. In continuing these legacies, today’s protesters show how difficult it will be for Donald Trump, #ElonMusk, and other #racist #billionaires to control the population of this continent. They also point the way for others who are still trying to figure out how to defend themselves against the new regime.
"Here, participants in this month’s demonstrations in Los Angeles offer a short report from the streets."
Read more:
https://crimethinc.com/2025/02/13/the-students-walk-out-in-los-angeles-a-report-from-the-streets
#ResistFascism #Resistance #ResistRacism
St. Louis folks!
A performance of seven short plays marking the 10th Anniversary of the tragic loss of Michael Brown Jr.
From A Call to Conscience Interactive Theater for Social Change and The Michael Brown Sr Chosen for Change Organization.
This Friday and Saturday at Pilgrim United Church of Christ (826 Union Blvd.)
A Call to Conscience Theater did a community-based production about the Jefferson Bank protests last year - it was a privilege to see it.
perhaps of interest to @InTheShellofSTL ?
#Ferguson #MichaelBrown #StL #StLouis #StLEvents #HappeningInTheLou
Rebecca Ferguson at Dune: Part Two 2024 https://www.inbella.com/820311/rebecca-ferguson-at-dune-part-two-2024/ #Celeb #CelebEvents #Celebrities #Celebrity #Celebs #dune #events #ferguson #leggy #part #Rebecca
Next up is the University of Missouri Press, where you get 40% through December 15 with code Holiday24.
For this press, it's a look at the history of activism in #StLouis during the turbulent 1960s and 70s. Long before the #Ferguson uprising, #StL city residents were engaged in #BlackPower, #GayRights, #Environmental and #AntiWar activities.
Showing yet again why the #Midwest matters.
https://upress.missouri.edu/9780826222862/left-in-the-midwest/
𝗢𝘂𝗱-𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗙𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘂𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗶𝗷 𝗯𝗲𝘇𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱
MANCHESTER (ANP/RTR) - Oud-trainer Alex Ferguson stopt na dit seizoen als ambassadeur van Manchester United. De gevallen Engelse topclub bespaart daarmee jaarlijks opnieuw enkele miljoenen, nu de nieuwe mede-eigenaar Sir Jim Ratcliffe bezig is met een bezuinigingsoperatie. De 82-jarige...
#Democrats or #GOP —
both cling to power, both support the #Military industrial complex, both are parties to #WarCrimes/#Genocide, both limit #Autonomy, both fail to address the #ClimateCrisis, #HousingCrisis & #Poverty
both prevent #SocialJustice
https://theintercept.com/2024/10/03/wesley-bell-ferguson-protesters-cori-bush
Sarah Ferguson shares joy at Princess Beatrice’s ‘beautiful’ pregnancy news in statement https://www.inbella.com/739535/sarah-ferguson-shares-joy-at-princess-beatrices-beautiful-pregnancy-news-in-statement/ #Beatrices #beautiful #ferguson #Gossip #joy #News #pregnancy #princess #Royal #RoyalFamilies #RoyalGossip #Royals #RoyalsGossip #sarah #shares #Statement
From @BlueRidgeABC:
Minister Elijah is being held on a $500,000 bond after being violently attacked by Ferguson police on August 9th, the 10th anniversary of the murder of Michael Brown Jr.
Elijah was violently tackled to the ground and strangled with a police weapon, causing him to vomit and lose
consciousness.
Please donate and share with your networks because it is our duty to fight for our freedom!
10 years ago, Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a white police officer in #Ferguson, Missouri.
His death sparked a global movement calling for police accountability.
Years since have seen continuous misconduct from malice to murder — each one proof of the deep-seated issues that still plague the US and increase the grief of black parents and communities.
https://theconversation.com/police-antiblack-violence-235643
#Histodons @histodons #BlackMastodon @blackmastodon
#LindaTirado is dying, folks. If you found her reporting valuable from #Minneapolis and #Ferguson and elsewhere valuable, now would be a good time to pitch in, if you’ve got a bit to spare. https://lindatirado.substack.com/p/story-thirty-nine
I'm curious what people think the protest dynamics with regard to @palestine would be like if we were looking at Trump in office instead of Biden over the past few years.
This is not a question about which one is more likely to rush to defend and enable Israel. We all know they are fairly indistinguishable on that point. I'm also not asking whether "Bibi wants Trump to win." Fine, whatever. Plenty of people have opinions about that. This is a different question.
I'm just wondering what folks think this would all look like today if people saw this as "Trump's genocide," i.e., would there be more people in the streets? Would the protests be more fierce?
Like, some of the dynamics around #BLM 2020 had to do with fighting a perceived alliance between Trump and the police state, that were different than in #Ferguson 2014, etc, when it was Obama's police state. Not to simplify things too much, just an example.
I'm not trying to gotcha anyone, or advocate for one candidate over the other. I'm interested in your thoughts.
Das ganze lesenswerte Interview mit Niall Ferguson, welches Rolf Dobelli führte, ist hier ohne Paywall (zumindest bei mir) abrufbar:
#USPolice Forces Are Trained by #Israel: The Knee-On-Neck Tactic that Was Used on #GeorgeFloyd Is the Same Tactic that Has Been Used on the #Palestinians
By Timothy Alexander Guzman
Global Research, June 04, 2020
"However, the tragic murder of George Floyd has the hallmark of an Israeli-trained tactic put to use to restrain suspects. Many U.S. states, cities and towns allow their police departments to be trained by the Israeli police, Israeli Defense Forces (#IDF) and by Israel’s internal security service’s known as #ShinBet who for decades has oppressed the #Palestinians with brutal policing tactics. The Israeli’s are experts in abuse and torture of the Palestinians which dates back to 1948, so now they train US police forces who use the same tactics to subdue protesters or to violently arrest people for some reason or another. An article by the Jewish Voice For Peace in 2018 titled ‘Deadly Exchange Report Reveals Extent of Massive Training Programs Between U.S. Law Enforcement and Israeli Police, Military and the Shin Bet’ begins its analysis with who is involved with Israeli training methods:
"From the acting Deputy Director of ICE to the current Chief of Police in Washington DC, from San Diego to Chicago to Atlanta, since 2002 thousands of American law enforcement officials have trained in Israel with Israeli police, military and the Shin Bet. And thousands more have participated in security conferences and workshops with Israeli military, law enforcement and security officials held in the U.S. But despite their branding as top-tier counter-terrorism experts, Israeli police and security agents regularly violate civil rights, and implement racist and deadly policies.
"The article describes one of the case studies of police officers spraying ‘Skunk’ a liquid that causes nausea when sprayed onto protesters during the 2014 protests in Ferguson, Missouri after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson as an example:
"Developed by Israeli police and manufactured by the Israeli company #Odortec, 'Skunk' is a foul-smelling liquid designed to cause nausea and linger for days when sprayed at high pressure onto protesters at demonstrations. Based on its proven effectiveness against Palestinian protests – particularly in West Bank village demonstrations against the Apartheid Wall – the American company Mistral Security began selling Skunk to U.S. police departments, including the #SaintLouisMetropolitanPolice, following the 2014 protests in #Ferguson, Missouri.
"According to the report produced by Researching the American-Israeli Alliance (#RAIA) in partnership with Jewish Voice for Peace [#JVP] titled ‘Deadly Exchange: The Dangerous Consequences of American Law Enforcement Trainings in Israel’ says that the Israeli military, police and those in intelligence agencies train US police forces under Israel’s counter-terrorism methods which also involves racial profiling:
"Israel is heralded as a nation that keeps its citizens safe in the face of perpetual threat, but Israel’s security regime is designed to subjugate Palestinians, and relies on systematic racial differentiation between Palestinians and Israeli Jews – that constitutes Apartheid. During trainings in Israel, US law enforcement delegations meet with Israeli military, police, and intelligence agencies to train in Israeli counterterrorism, which by definition necessitates refining methods of #RacialProfiling
"The report said that “Months after 9/11, American law enforcement representatives attended their first official training expedition to Israel to exchange 'best practices,” knowledge, and expertise in counter-terrorism.' Members from the #FBI, #CIA, chiefs and deputy chiefs from police departments across the US including #California, #NewYork, #Texas, #Maryland, #Florida and others who were 'schooled in Israeli military approaches to intelligence gathering, border security, checkpoints, and coordination with the media.' The report said that the “US law enforcement exchange programs with Israel have become standard, with hundreds of American law enforcement officials from across the country going to Israel for trainings, and thousands more participating in security conferences and workshops with Israeli personnel in the United States.' Allowing Israel’s tactics to be used on US citizens has been normalized establishing even closer ties between both countries:
"These exchange programs with Israel facilitate the sharing of practices and technologies between US law enforcement and the Israeli military, police and intelligence agencies; Instill militarized logics of security into the civilian sphere, normalizing practices of mass #surveillance, #criminalization, and the violent #repression of communities and movements the government defines as threatening; and deepen ties between US and Israeli officials to shore up support for a shared security model that justifies flagrant human and #CivilRights violations
"#AmnestyInternational (AI) published a report on August 2016 titled ‘With Whom Are Many U.S. Police Departments Training? With A Chronic Human Rights Violator-Israel’, the U.S. Department of Justice documented 'widespread constitutional violations, discriminatory enforcement, and culture of retaliation' within the #Baltimore Police department. The report rightly claimed that no attention was paid to who trained these officers 'But what hasn’t received as much attention is where Baltimore police received training on crowd control, use of force and surveillance: Israel’s national police, military and intelligence services.' AI said that that participants not only were from Baltimore, 'hundreds of others from Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, California, #Arizona, Connecticut, New York, #Massachusetts, #NorthCarolina, #Georgia, #WashingtonState as well as the #DC Capitol police have all traveled to Israel for training.' Thousands of more police officers receive their training methods from Israelis in the US as well. To add insult to injury, the training for US police forces and other government agencies are paid by US #taxpayers:
"Many of these trips are taxpayer funded while others are privately funded. Since 2002, the Anti-Defamation League [#ADL], the American Jewish Committee’s Project Interchange and the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs have paid for police chiefs, assistant chiefs and captains to train in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT)
"This a reminder to the world that the police tactics used on George Floyd that got him killed was established in Israel, a #Zionist state that uses the same tactics to oppress the Palestinians on a daily level is now commonly being used by US police forces."
