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Shirley Osborne

@shirleyos.bsky.social
182 followers 19 following 155 posts

I write about how power operates - systemically and individually - and what it means for women. shirleyosborne.com

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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
They’re listening. They’re eavesdropping and spying on the lives of all of us and robbing, plagiarizing, exploiting and harming and they are so very stupid they actually believe that means they’re superior beings. They ignore history. At their own risk. What’s your “they’re listening to us story”?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Why must husband and wife be considered potentially offensive just because we have other words we have chosen to use? And how does that reasoning apply to other languages? Sposa/sposo, marito/moglie e.g. So, why is mother now being put into question? Which is exactly where I was leading to.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
This is what I’m thinking through today - power, and the control of our language - because of the Cornell 57 because this young girl was raped but we can’t really say so. And we can’t really call the 7 rapists either because we would be offending their futures. Fuck that. What do you think?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Every generation of “the men who would run the world” believes that it has discovered a brand-new way to engineer the world, but the portion of human history that concerns them seems very much an archive of idiot savants and brilliant fools. Come join the conversation. Here or on our Substack.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Real power is a privilege overwhelmingly held by the very people these men believe they rule. We could show them. We’re talking about the presumed power of “the men who run the world” all this month at The Power Table. Join the conversation here and over on our Substack. Link in bio.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
What does power do to a man’s sense of consequence? What does power do to a man’s understanding of himself? Very importantly, what does power do the people downstream of the man who has power and lacks humanity?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
To ask "who runs the world" is to ask what kinds of behavior our most dominant institutions reward. The men who hold these levers are not anomalies but the logical outputs of systems designed to maximize extraction, centralize control, and privilege scale over stability. Join the conversation.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The men running the world are not too smart to be challenged. It’s time to pull back the curtain, step up to the table, and demand a higher standard of civilizational leadership. Where do you see high intelligence being confused for true wisdom? Share this with someone who also wonders about this.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The head-chairs of global power are occupied by the most heavily credentialed, data-rich group of men, ever, in human history, and yet, we are witnessing an unrestrained collapse and seem to be careening toward a fall. Why is that? Read the essay in my Substack and tell me your thoughts.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Some of the questions to which we are finding - or creating!! - answers: What exactly do men mean when they say women have "too much power"? Why does male fragility become everybody else's responsibility? Come join the conversation. Bring your own answers.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Neither of these titans allowed society to dilute her essence. STEINEM refused to soften her political stance to be "more palatable". PARTON refused to tone down her image to be "more respected." We’re writing about them in Substack & everywhere this weekend! Stay connected @_the_powertable
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Intelligence is raw processing power. It’s what lets someone code an algorithm, execute a hostile takeover, or capture power. "Smart" is knowing what happens after you push the button. Smart’s different. Smart is wise. Smart is understanding history, human life, and 2nd-order consequences. @pgtepo
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
We need to show rightwing newspapers that actions have consequences. Add your name: goodlawproject.org/s/abb8a1
goodlawproject.org
Jason Arday: Demand a public inquiry now | Good Law Project
Commission an immediate public inquiry into how to ensure a responsible press given its contribution to Dr Arday’s tragic death.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Are there degrees to being a tradwife, or is it all-or-nothing? Where does Tradwifery begin? Where does it end? What the hell is Tradwifery anyway? What does a tradwife actually do?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Sexism is not just a moral failing. It is a profound intellectual deficit. Early institutions were built on primitive, visible-metric assumptions so maintaining those same structures today, despite the advancements in science shows patriarchy is either unable or unwilling to act intelligently.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
We entered the Substack rankings for Rising in World Politics at #53!! Thank you to everyone building this conversation with me. We are creating a way of understanding power, women, culture, politics, and the world as it is changing around us. Thank you for being at the table.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Motherhood is not the only valid expression of womanhood. Women are all that - and more.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Peak femininity?! Motherhood is a capacity, not a constraint. Let’s not confuse the material with the mind that directs it. Tuesday on #ThePowerTable
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Women in the so-called Global South -are the first to pay the social and environmental cost, so the green transition also runs through women’s bodies. It exploits their land, their water. their labour and their communities. Do you see how their exploitation keeps all women vulnerable?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Enter The Archive. 16 Titles. 4 Tracks. Your Power. Link in bio. Or Comment or DM: RED AND GOLD And I’ll send it to you
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
In a few hours, We open the Red & Gold Archive It’s powerful stuff. You get to make it into your own personal power house Take whatever you need - one book, one track, or the whole thing. Your choice. Your power. See you inside. The hour is almost here
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
On Substack Part III goes live tomorrow Keep up.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
We like to believe that sexual violence is just a “glitch” in a system that is otherwise good. But what if it is not? What if the system’s foundations are flawed? What if the only option were the installation of a completely different one? Would you block the shift? Would you resist the change?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
You don’t need permission. You need power. AT THE POWER TABLE: HOW WOMEN BUILD POWER, TRUST OURSELVES AND SHAPE THE WORLD Get started tonight 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time. Link in bio
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 05/04/2026
You’re not stuck because you’re not good enough You’re stuck because you’ve been shaped; you're being rewarded for behaviors that keep you effective… but not powerful. This is co-option. So, I made something for you: “5 Signs You’re Being Co-opted” Link in bio. 👇🏽 Which one hit you hardest?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
You’ve been taught how to succeed. Not how to have power. And those are not the same thing. Over the next 3 days, I’m breaking this open. Follow. Stay close. This will shift how you see everything. The Power Lens shies you how. Link in bio!
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
Women’s History Month was never meant to be comfortable. It was meant to wake you up. The Power Library is being stocked. It is open For 72 hours. Enter if you’re ready to see differently. www.ShirleyOsborne.com/enter-the-li…
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Let’s be honest. It’s not that people don’t see this. It’s that decide it’s not worth the inconvenience of having to ask: Where do I stand? And that question costs more than most people are willing to pay. So they dismiss it as noise because it’s easier than facing what it might mean.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Not everyone wants the war to end. These mothers do. They broke the one rule the patriarchy depends on: stay divided If this doesn’t shake you, check what’s numbing you.
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Kristi Noem didn’t fail because she didn’t try hard enough. She played the role but it wasn’t enough. She didn’t lose her position because she resisted the system She lost it while trying very hard to belong. Follow if you’re starting to see it. #power #women #patriarchy #getuncoopted
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
People are reacting to what happened here. Almost no one is naming what it actually shows. This is what happens when someone needs to maintain access to power. #badmanners #power #thepatriarchy #womeninleadership
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 21/03/2026
This is difficult to look at. It is sickening, actually. Women -and men - are disgusted by this. And there is that the Governor for the state insisted that he should be allowed to “enjoy myself in a Bentley” and be allowed to “enjoy his vacation in peace.” #stoprape #rapeculture #nigeria by
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
Listen to Women. Believe Women Reading from Maya Angelou. Phenomenal Woman #womenshistorymonth #listentowomen #believewomen #womenknow #phenomenalwoman
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
It’s WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH! Come join me LIVE! over on Substack and all the other platforms as I do readings all weekend in honour of all the women who have fought for us, cried for us, laughed with us and created us! March 13 - 15 #womenshistorymonth #reading #womenwriters #believewomen
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The Bishops and the Broligarchy The Global Monopoly on Power The Men Standing Between Us & the Future The Bishops own the "Moral Real Estate" - the rules of what is right and wrong Their position isn't just a result of merit, but of a closed system that actively excludes others - aka women. #women
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Men run the world. Not by accident, nor by divine decree. It’s not “natural” either. At the Power Table we’re dissecting the system they employ Join us. Let’s see what these men are made of. #women #bishops #broligarchs #bishopsandbroligarchs #womenshistorymonth
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
It’s INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY While the world is handing out flowers, we are sharing an audit - The Bishops - decide about your body The Broligarchs - tell you what you can say online The Proxies - decide which of your rights are negotiable #internationalwomensday #womenshistorymonth #womenknow
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Henrietta Swan Leavitt Her work made outer space measurable, but the gave Hubble tue recognition and the accolades. #womenshistorymonth #believewomen #womenrick
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
There’s a deal women are offered Access for obedience. Promotion for silence. Women take it because it looks like success. My book The Women the Patriarchy Co-opted shows you how to walk away without burning your life down. Get uncoopted. Order your copy here: shirleyosborne.com/the-patriarc...
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
THE RECLAMATION Mileva Marić was Albert Einstein’s 1st wife. There is ample evidence that she contributed greatly to his groundbreaking science. But he never acknowledged that contribution. Today, women are reclaiming their right to both acknowledgment and award. #womenshistorymonth
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
This year at the Power Table Women’s History Month is not about inspiration. It’s about instructions. We have work to do so we’re not celebrating “empowerment”, we’re talking about women who understand power, and who self-authorise. Come join us. IG @_the_powertable And also, Wakanda Forever!
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
The idea that men believe they ought to be able to steal women’s accomplishments, r@pe little girls, beat their wives, sell their daughters or bomb school girls to smithereens with no consequences is not agreeable to women and smart men anywhere. Let’s shift this thing. We don’t need permission
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
This Black History Month, we aren’t just looking back, we aren’t just celebrating the past. We are honouring the blueprint - 37 fierce and fabulous Black Women who turned “impossible” into “independence” inspiring women across the centuries. substack.com/@shirleyosbo...
substack.com
The Architects of Resistance: Part One
Resistance Fighters and Military Leaders
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Black History Month is not a nostalgia tour. It's is a power audit. This month is not about remembrance. It is about reclamation. This is not about empowerment. It is about power. The power to be, do, have, participate and contribute, an enjoy the results and the rewards. #blackhistorymonth
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Welcome. If you’re new here, or if you’ve been with me since the beginning, things are shifting. I am Shirley Osborne, founder of The Power Table. For too long, leadership for women has been about fitting in. Over here, we don’t do that. Come join The Table of the Uncoopted. Are you in?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Jeffrey Epstein never finished college, yet he was welcomed like an equal by academicians in research in some of the most prestigious universities How could the proximity to very young women that was granted him by these relationships not have been a point of concern? Ought it be looked into, now?
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
In 1694 the Portuguese thought they ended the threat of Dandara at Alagoas. But in 2018 her voice rang out in Rio. Marielle Franco climbed the steps of power and spoke the truth of her lineage. Marielle is Dandara. Dandara is Marielle. And they are both inside YOU. Comment "PRESENTE" if you know!
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
A seat at the table is just a high-altitude cage if you’re not allowed to change the menu. In The Women The Patriarchy Co-opted we discuss uncomfortable truths: what happens when women’s representation is used to keep the system exactly the same? #womenleaders #systemicchange #patriarchycritique
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Shirley Osborne @shirleyos.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
#blackhistorymonth #blackwomen #africanwomen #powerfulwoman
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