Reposted by Stephen TustinGil Durán @gilduran.com · 05/10/2026The NYT is ok with extremist ideology as an anecdote in a profile—but highly allergic to any deeper examination of the ideology itself. No one gets to write an op-ed explaining any of this. That’s not allowed. But a billionaire can drop it in a quote as a passing comment. 8593100
Reposted by Stephen TustinGil Durán @gilduran.com · 05/10/2026It’s not just one billionaire. It’s a full-blown cult of billionaires who believe dictatorship should replace democracy—and that technology (crypto and AI) will make this inevitable. They say it loud. Some guy just wrote a book about it (That guy is me!) www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ne...simonandschuster.comThe Nerd ReichNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This transfixing debut from journalist Durán investigates the antidemocratic ideologies espoused by tech billionaires ... 7969240
Reposted by Stephen TustinGil Durán @gilduran.com · 05/10/2026“Democracy has been hailed as, like, the holy grail for the last couple hundred years, but democracies are inefficient,” said the crypto billionaire. “If you get a benevolent dictator, it’s actually extremely efficient." Hmm, where have I heard this before? www.nytimes.com/2026/10/01/b...nytimes.comInside a Billionaire’s Paradise With Crypto’s Most Powerful Ex-Convict (Gift Article)Changpeng Zhao, jailed in the United States for a financial crime and pardoned by President Trump, is now living a gilded life in the United Arab Emirates. 2411504405
Reposted by Stephen TustinRebecca Solnit @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Convenience, efficiency, profitability, and easiness have long been the four horsemen of the tech apocalypse. 316945
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 03/10/2026Please share this gift article about treason in Alberta widely, and frequently. Thanks, Globe and Mail. #Canada #journalism www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/1f59e58... 011
Reposted by Stephen TustinCayce C. Will @caycecwill.substack.com · 30/09/2026Democracy is not a static inheritance; it is an architecture we must actively maintain. By reforming our tax code, fixing our elections, and balancing our courts, we can fulfill our foundational promise: E Pluribus Unum. Out of many, one. caycecwill.substack.com/p/get-out-an...caycecwill.substack.comGet Out and VoteA TREATISE ON STRUCTURAL REFORMS TO UNLOCK AMERICAN VOTER TURNOUT 021
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026"Every scam to make you pay more has a mirror-image scam that ensures you are paid less" - @doctorow.pluralistic.net pluralistic.net/2026/09/29/a...pluralistic.netPluralistic: Lindsay Owens’s “Gouged” (29 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 1307
Reposted by Stephen TustinBruce Arthur @brucearthur.bsky.social · 30/09/2026On Tuesday the BC Supreme Court vacated the convictions of the co-founders of DULF, which bought and sold clean illegal drugs on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, and struck down a part of Canada's drug laws. None of it was ideal, but in this crisis, it was to the good. www.thestar.com/opinion/star...thestar.comBruce Arthur: B.C. court right to absolve founders of Drug User Liberation FrontThe B.C. Supreme Court concluded that DULF kept people alive and did no public harm, Bruce Arthur writes. 06619
Reposted by Stephen TustinKevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 30/09/2026"For decades, we've provided election coverage that's based on in-depth political reporting by an experienced team of journalists backed by commentary from political leaders. But now we're throwing that aside so we can tell you what some of the most irredeemable uninformed gamblers are guessing." 491316289
Reposted by Stephen TustinKatie Phang @katiephang.bsky.social · 30/09/2026There are NEW updates in the case of the Cornell 7 as more details are revealed, including how the alleged victim stated “with 100% confidence [she] was raped”. So why did the local DA only present certain parts of her written statement? I've got the latest reporting: youtu.be/tcsZBeeJk9k?...youtu.beNew DETAILS In Cornell ASSAULT CASE Revealed In BOMBSHELL Transcript!!YouTube video by Katie Phang 16344631686
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026"Digital sovereignty is about owning or controlling layers of infrastructure, not just funding another vendor - Vass Bednar in @thestar.com #Musk #Starlink www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...thestar.comIf Canada wants to move away from Elon Musk, this is how it should do itIt's time for pension funds to step up, writes Vass Bednar. 031
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Well said: "If A.I. promises to transform the entire society, then the entire society is entitled to have a say, even a decisive one, over the use, development and direction of the technology" - Jamelle Bouie #Canada #Carney #evansolomon #AI www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Railroads Were Once the Octopus That A.I. Is NowNew matrix, meet the old matrix. 001
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 28/09/2026"Virtually every vendor you engage with, from your landlord to your corner deli, wants you to install an app whose terms of service requires you to sign away all of your privacy rights, forever, in exchange for nothing." - @doctorow.pluralistic.net pluralistic.net/2026/09/28/c...pluralistic.netPluralistic: Priceful (28 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 04410
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026Justin Trudeau and immigration. An excerpt from a new book by David Olive of the Toronto Star #Canada www.thestar.com/news/insight... 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026"I’ve heard people dismiss Trump’s mendacity with a shrugging “they all lie,” but we are witnessing a rare, very possibly once-in-a-lifetime political liar" - Daniel Dale for CNN #Canada #trade #tariffs www.cnn.com/2026/09/27/p... 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 25/09/2026AI Minister @evansolomon.bsky.social and the Liberal party need to remember that Canadians didn't vote to be surveilled, deceived, fired, replaced or "harmed" by AI and Tech Bros billionaires. Canadians need to hold Solomon & Carney to account. #Canada #oversight www.thestar.com/politics/fed...thestar.comCanada’s AI minister takes aim at Big Tech’s plan to police itselfWith artificial intelligence giants taking to the global stage this week urging for technology slowdowns, Evan Solomon says it’s not up to tech companies to dictate their own guardrails. 020
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Why is Meta deleting the accounts of Toronto performers? Is it rampant homophobia? #instagram #facebook #burlesque #artists www.thestar.com/news/gta/met...thestar.comA livelihood at risk. A 'panic attack for breakfast.' Performer banned from Meta over bikini photoStarlotte Satine is trying to promote an upcoming show at the El Mocambo but says her livelihood is at risk. 001
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"Experts say Ottawa’s Building Canada Strong Act hands the labour minister and government ‘unchecked’ authority to suspend strikes based on ‘national interest.’" - Josh Rubin in @thestar.com #Canada #Carney #workers www.thestar.com/business/why...thestar.comWhy unions say Canada's new labour bill will make strikes 'all but impossible' in regulated sectorsExperts say Ottawa's Building Canada Strong Act hands the labour minister and government 'unchecked' authority to suspend strikes based on 'national interest.' 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026“What we should take away from this controversy is that the majority attaches great importance to authenticity. If you think you are adding value by having your works written by AI, go ahead! But at least, mention it, so as not to betray your readers" #Canada #AIbook www.thestar.com/news/world/w...thestar.comWhy AI allegations risk turning a Canadian literary sensation into a French book scandalOn Monday, Thélyson Orélien’s book won the 2026 Prix du Roman Fnac, a major French book retailer. 021
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"The SEC, once a bastion of investor protection, is now going to great lengths to stifle shareholder dissent. It is a troubling change that will also affect Canadian holders of U.S. equities and Canadian companies listed on U.S. exchanges" - Rita Trichur www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: SEC wants to get rid of shareholder proposals, setting another dangerous precedent for CanadaU.S. regulator is censoring investors in order to shield companies from scrutiny 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"Our democracy works best when we have an opposition that looks like a government in waiting. The Conservatives look like dummies, and they should smarten up, for the sake of the country and their own personal dignity" - @stephenmaher.bsky.social #Canada #Poilievre 010
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"As support for both Trump and Poilievre has diminished - they both have approval ratings of 32 -I am starting to think that their remaining supporters are - how to put it? - not as intellectually inclined as other voters" - @stephenmaher.bsky.social #potash www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...thestar.comStephen Maher: Donald Trump is picking a fight on potash. Here’s how Canada should respond (spoiler: not like Andrew Scheer)Conservatives are in a pickle, and Poilievre is straddling a barbed-wire fence 110
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026“I believe if you can do something for somebody else, then you should. I’m a giver and I’m a donator of whatever it is that I have to offer. I wish I had a few more kidneys to give away" - Living organ donor Christine Bruce #transplants #Canada www.thestar.com/news/gta/don...thestar.comShe's one of Ontario's rare double donors. Why she did it — and what a new study says about safetyLiving donors change the equation for people awaiting organs, and can lead to much faster transplants. 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"Teschner offered no clear rationale for burying Toronto’s acute crisis inside a massive sector-wide review. What data justified this sudden expansion? How does a broad provincial survey address the immediate breakdown of trust in Toronto or help the TPSB evaluate its chief?" 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"To restore trust, Toronto police must step back entirely" from the latest TPS scandal investigation says ex-services board chair Alok Mukherjee #corruption #ProjectSouth www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...thestar.comAs a former chair of the police services board, I have misgivings about the inspection into corruption of Toronto’s forceQuestions remain regarding the independence of the inspection. 100
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 23/09/2026"(Carney) hasn’t adequately explained how his plan will improve on the current operation by local airport authorities. Nor has he outlined the necessary safeguards to protect passengers" - @thestar.com #canada www.thestar.com/opinion/edit...thestar.comStar Editorial Board: Mark Carney still has to convince Canadians that privatizing airports won’t hurt themThe prime minister hasn’t adequately explained how his plan will improve on the current operation by local airport authorities. Nor has he outlined the necessary safeguards to protect passengers. 142
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 22/09/2026"(California AG Rob) Bonta just handed the American movie and TV sector to two of the most odious creeps to draw breath, surrendering without firing a shot" - @doctorow.pluralistic.net #movies #films #streaming #news #canada pluralistic.net/2026/09/22/h...pluralistic.netPluralistic: Bonta sold us out to Trump’s oligarchs (22 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026A good reminder that AI is the machine without a brain, and we are the brain, not the machine. #Canada #politicians #legislation #laws www.thestar.com/opinion/star...thestar.comJustin Ling: It’s the nuclear bomb of the 21st century. This is how we can control itReining in AI will take international co-operation. 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 21/09/2026"This entire (Ed Sheeran) debacle is a stark reminder that opting out of taking political stands is, in and of itself, a political stand: a politics of self-interest" - Roxane Gay in @nytimes.com #genocide #macklemore #music www.nytimes.com/2026/09/21/o...nytimes.comOpinion | Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Why Politics Is So Hard for CelebritiesCelebrities use the facade of neutrality as shelter, as a place to take refuge. 010
Reposted by Stephen TustinK a s s i e D e e @kassiedee.bsky.social · 20/09/2026“A close read of Ed Sheeran's new statement, and why it's a flop.” Credit: @premthakker.bsky.social 073
Reposted by Stephen TustinKate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 18/09/2026My mom had polio when she was five. She was living on a US military base in Japan (1947). Four kids on the base died. She was the only survivor. 992991851
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026The "Untouchables" TV show should be rebooted, only this time the untouchables are the AI ATech Bros and the corrupt politicians (President Epstein) who protect them. I'd watch. www.thebignewsletter.com/p/ai-is-an-e...thebignewsletter.comAI Is an Elite Crime SpreeDocuments show a Microsoft exec called AI the "largest theft of labor in human history.” New AI regulations are besides the point, the problem is we don’t apply existing laws to the powerful. 000
Reposted by Stephen TustinRebecca Blood 🇺🇦 @rebeccablood.bsky.social · 19/09/2026@doctorow.pluralistic.net 04213
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026There was another one-liner making the rounds about the Canadian reaction to Donald Trump’s imperial hostility. That one I knew to be true in my bone marrow: “Canadians have two modes – ‘I’m sorry’ and ‘You’re about to be sorry.’” - Shannon Proudfoot www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/opi...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Canadian pride and rage in the face of tariff madnessIn the trade war pressure cooker, Carney’s government was inching toward concessions. Then came the late-breaking story that changed it all 010
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026"Canada figures it can attract record amounts of global investment capital while becoming an indispensable partner to the EU, boost its trade with China, and fight for the most favourable trading conditions possible with the U.S." - David Olive #canada www.thestar.com/business/opi...thestar.comDavid Olive: Forget the 51st state. Canada wants to be Europe’s partnerAs Trump retreats from global alliances, Canada and the EU are moving fast to fill the void. 001
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Indeed, why should we (and I don't)? #AI #Canada #techbros #billionaires #Carney #evansolomon www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...thestar.comJohn Lorinc: Even as they say ‘slow down,’ tech giants are arguing for self-regulation. Why should we trust them?There must also be consequences for non-compliance, just as there are in many other regulatory regimes, from banking to food processing. 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Are Canadians keeping up with Carney's pace? #trade #trump #EU #investement www.thestar.com/politics/mar...thestar.comMark Carney’s relationship with Trump is changing in real time. Is anyone keeping up?Beyond seeming more willing to take shots at Trump, the change in the prime minister’s outlook can be seen in his travels, speeches and policy gestures. 011
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026"Almost 20 months into Mr. Trump’s second term, his long-running media clashes have grown into a sweeping campaign to control speech in America" #freespeech #journalism www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/u...nytimes.comHow Trump Is Wielding Power to Stifle SpeechPresident Trump has harnessed agencies across the government to curtail press freedoms, a sweeping campaign that free speech advocates say will have lasting effects. 022
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Trump and his under-qualified lackeys are out to quash freedom of speech and any criticism of their cruel and idiotic policies and actions. Don't let them. #freespeech #reporting #journalism #democracy www.cnn.com/2026/09/19/m...cnn.comCNN, MS NOW and Politico denied access to White House after Trump ‘ban’ | CNN BusinessCNN reporter Betsy Klein was denied access at the White House on Saturday morning and her press pass was seized, one day after President Donald Trump announced that he was “banning” CNN, MS NOW and Po... 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 17/09/2026"When an industry (AI) that is eating itself alive through "hyperscaling" demands that the government bless a conspiracy to halt competition and ban open source alternatives, you should be suspicious" - @doctorow.pluralistic.net pluralistic.net/2026/09/16/b...pluralistic.netPluralistic: How an AI moratorium can save AI bosses (16 Sep 2026) – Pluralistic: Daily links from Cory Doctorow 18523
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Utilizing words from my rowdy youth, "Ed Sheeran is taking a shitkicking!" #macklemore #genocide #robertkraft variety.com/2026/music/n...variety.comMacklemore Donating $1 Million Salary from Ed Sheeran Tour to Support Palestine: ‘I Invite Robert Kraft to Match My Donation’Macklemore announced plans to donate $1 million in net earnings from Ed Sheeran's tour to Palestinian support, and asked Robert Kraft to match. 010
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Macklemore fries wimpster Ed Sheeran, and I'm here for it. #politics #Gaza #genocide #edsshittymusic www.rollingstone.com/music/music-...rollingstone.comMacklemore Dropped From Ed Sheeran Tour After Onstage 'Free Palestine' StatementsMacklemore is being dropped from Ed Sheeran's tour after several venues allegedly said they would not allow a concert with the rapper to take place. 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026We need real, loud laughs more than ever, yeah? #comedy #television www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/o... 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 13/09/2026"While fascists protest in UK ports and purvey nonsense and poison online, ever fewer people have the perspective or analytical tools to challenge them" #reading #democracy www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... 030
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 12/09/2026For the love of Jesus, the sight of President Tubby Rapist on Irish soil is almost more than I can bear. #Ireland #Canada #America #Gaza www.bbc.com/news/article... 010
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026The Globe's Rita Trichur explains how Trump's Trade War is pummelling Ohio. #tariffs #jobs #Canada #Mexico www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...theglobeandmail.comOpinion: Ohio is a microcosm of growing American angst over Trump’s trade war with CanadaU.S. President’s global tariffs have cost the state billions since he returned to the Oval Office 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026"(Notley's) mission — her reason for joining up with Kenney — is to “get out the vote.” Her fellow federalists may not be as passionate about turning out on voting day as the diehard separatists who want to send a message" - @reggcohn.bsky.social #Alberta #Canada www.thestar.com/politics/pol...thestar.comMartin Regg Cohn: How Jason Kenney and Rachel Notley work their unlikely alliance against Alberta separatismFormer premiers, once political rivals, talk about working both sides of the aisle politically in the run-up to the Oct. 19 provincial referendum. 000
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I remember vividly when Neil Kennedy, a fellow boater, took off for New York City to help re the aftermath of 9/11. I saluted him then, and I salute him now. #Canada #rescuers #QueensQuay #firefighters www.thestar.com/news/gta/fou...thestar.comFour Brampton firefighters rushed to New York on 9/11. Would they do it again?Without hesitation, they drove towards a disaster that was still unfolding. Despite the risks, would they do it again? 022
Stephen Tustin @stustin.bsky.social · 11/09/2026"Vega’s film is funny without straining for laughs, moving without wallowing in tragedy, and strange without allowing its extraterrestrial conceit to overshadow the recognizably and slightly sad human story at its center" #TIFF #Toronto #Sweden #comedy #SciFi nextbestpicture.com/arne-goes-to...nextbestpicture.com"ARNE GOES TO SPACE" - ReviewTHE STORY – An extraterrestrial visitor upends the lives of two elderly brothers in northern Sweden. THE CAST – Rolf Lassgård, Lennart Jähkel & Kiran Shah THE TEAM – Lars Vega (Director/Writer) & Theodor Österberg (Writer) THE RUNNING TIME – 101 Minutes Perhaps describing a film as a “Swedish sci-fi comedy from a first-time director” is […] 020