As for Elon himself, I guess some people love him and those people clearly aren’t leaving. But then there are those of us who worry about the pernicious effect of his changes to this platform and his boosting of a firehose of lies. I hate being here and helping him succeed.

So why am I here at all? I already said so. If I want to read, say, Garry Kasparov or Scott Lincicome, they are on Bluesky but they clearly post more here, not just out of inertia but because this is still where the eyeballs are. Especially the eyeballs of journos. And that matters.

As for the alleged echo chamber, I have seen the opposite: people actively seeking out accounts (like mine) that have a conservative perspective but are not rude MAGA assholes.

I have changed my mind and will release this thread to the public, but if that causes an influx of trolls it will only prove my point. You don’t get that at Bluesky. Imagine conversations without swarms of ignorant assholes interrupting every five seconds. It happens there.

But you should stay at this diverse place and fight for your beliefs! you say. Don’t let them drive you away! And the Trumpist perspective is popular so it needs to be confronted! So you spend a lot of time at Truth Social, do you? If yes, have fun! If not … why not? See?

To paraphrase the great Norm MacDonald, I’d love to spend a bunch of time interacting with MAGA assholes, but then yesterday this guy told me that I only get the one life. I’d prefer to spend it pleasantly.

But if we can make Bluesky a thing, I can scratch my news itch while not dealing with all the structural issues I have outlined, some predating Elon but many introduced by him. That would be lovely. It just takes more people like you setting up an account there. Why not now?

Notably, I allowed the general public to reply to this post for five minutes — five fucking minutes! — and immediately heard from two mouth breathers saying I talk too much and I should go to Bluesky if I like it so much better.

It’s exactly why I initially restricted who could reply to people I follow, and it’s why I have now changed the settings back to “only your followers can reply.” It’s useful as a graphic illustration of how stupid the average level of replies has become.

You see the problem. Either I restrict how this post/thread is shared, which limits its reach, or expect absolute idiots to come swarming in instantly. Again, there are *structural* issues that have caused this to happen. It’s not an accident. It’s quite deliberate.

It seems that even Russian military bloggers are starting to feel uneasy when they see the exchange rate of the ruble. Before long, even the huge salaries for military personnel might turn into mere pennies.

An unpleasant situation occurred with a veteran of the SMO, a convict who had only a month left to serve. Instead of finishing his sentence, he went to war, got injured, was paid only $4,000, and was thrown out of the hospital onto the street. Now he calls this state "pointless."

RBC-Ukraine, citing Yonhap, reports that a Ukrainian delegation led by Defense Minister Rustem Umerov has arrived in South Korea. Talks will address North Korea's involvement in the war and military aid to Ukraine. Meetings with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Defense Minister Kim

Every night, our mobile fire groups and other warriors shoot down Russian “Shaheds.” Every night, they achieve results in saving lives. I am grateful for their precision. Only sustained support for Ukraine and increased pressure on Russia—leaving it no room to adapt—can deprive

According to an investigation by "Schemes", Russia is using Tu-160 strategic bombers that Ukraine transferred to Moscow in 1999. In exchange for gas debt cancellation, Ukraine handed over 11 bombers, 575 Kh-55 missiles, 12 turboprop engines, and equipment, valued at $275M -

Protests were held in Romania against pro-Russian presidential candidate Kelin Georgescu. The protesters chanted "Put Georgescu on trial" and "Don't vote for a dictator." On posters, the protesters wrote "We do not repeat history. We want democracy" and "We are for NATO".

The commander of the 80th Separate Airborne Brigade's reconnaissance unit on Russian resistance in the Kursk region. youtube.com/shorts/TQD5W6h…

Le Monde writes that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, with the help of electronic warfare, have learned to change the coordinates of enemy Shahed drones and redirect them back to Russia and Belarus. Thanks to "spoofing", 43 attack drones flew into Belarus on November 24-26 alone.

Toretsk, another city virtually destroyed by the Russians. The industrial zone has been completely demolished, and in the private sector, only walls remain in the best-case scenario. Panel apartment buildings have been almost entirely burned out. t.me/c/1305722586/1…

Thank you everybody that follows me, but the time has come to ditch Elmo's dumbass site that sucks balls and head for greener pastures. If you care, I'm over at the Blue bsky.app/profile/repeti…