Michael Vann: Orca 5th Columnist

among the issues with people not having any knowledge of hybrid regimes in the global South is the fact that everyone assumes contemporary authoritarian governance looks like 20th century totalitarianism

Silly Jimmy Kimmel. He should have just called for all homeless people to be killed and he’d still have a job.

San Jose Basketball Player, 2 Others Banned by NCAA for Gambling on Games | San Jose Inside In late February, Steven Vasquez, who had transferred from Fresno, was removed from San Jose State’s online basketball roster.

If only someone could have seen this coming. I mean who would have thought the proliferation of gambling in college sports would lead to problems? www.sanjoseinside.com/news/san-jos...

RFK Jr.’s enemies list just got a lot longer First Bernie Sanders. Then CDC directors. Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.

First Bernie Sanders. Then the CDC directors.

Now, more than 1,000 current and former HHS staffers are demanding he step down.

The Indonesian Protests Are a Revolt Against Oligarchy The Indonesian president, Prabowo, would like to turn the clock back to the dark days of the Suharto dictatorship. But he’s been confronted with an unexpected wave of protest after the killing of a yo...

It was crazy to write about #Indonesia as the situation kept escalating from hour to hour jacobin.com/2025/09/indo...

76 Palestinians killed across Gaza in last 24 hours – reports Families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been protesting in Tel Aviv, calling for President Trump to secure a ceasefire.

"...in #Gaza, #Israel ’s assault on Gaza City has continued – pushing ever more Palestinians out & killing others who did not leave...

Across Gaza, 76 Palestinians were reportedly killed in the last 24 hours. In the south, some died as they went to collect water."

www.channel4.com/news/76-pale...

YouTube video by XL Recordings Titus Andronicus - 'A More Perfect Union'

All music should be this: www.youtube.com/watch?v=08fq...

Meanwhile in Jakarta…

Thai woman jailed for 43 years for lese-majeste freed A Thai woman who received one of the kingdom's longest ever royal insult sentences was freed from prison on Wednesday under a mass pardon marking the king's birthday.

Thai woman jailed for 43 years for lese-majeste freed rfi.my/BxMJ.BS

"The distance between what is said and what is known to be true has become an abyss. Of all the things at risk, the loss of an objective reality is perhaps the most dangerous. The death of truth is the ultimate victory of evil."

Who is Prabowo Subianto? Who is Prabowo Subianto? Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, known as Prabowo, was confirmed as president-elect of Indonesia on 20 March 2024. A social media sensation, Prabowo is also implicated in …

Good piece! This was my brief - reconciliationtim.ca/timor/who-is...

Excellent. Thank you!

Indonesia’s New President Is Dangerously Authoritarian Indonesia’s new president, Prabowo, has a gruesome track record of human rights violations and hostility to democracy. But a slick campaign successfully presented him as a cuddly grandpa figure, with ...

“Did several tours” is putting it mildly. I went with: As a young officer, he led a Special Forces commando unit in the brutal occupation of East Timor. Prabowo’s team of ‘Ninjas,’ irregular troops who dressed in black and operated at night, terrorized the population.
jacobin.com/2024/02/prab...

Indonesia’s Rulers Are Whitewashing the Crimes of Suharto In the 1960s, the Indonesian dictator Suharto was responsible for one of the twentieth century’s bloodiest political massacres. Under the rule of Prabowo, the country’s government is suppressing the m...

Hopefully this can redeem myself in your eyes: jacobin.com/2025/08/indo...

Indonesia’s Rulers Are Whitewashing the Crimes of Suharto In the 1960s, the Indonesian dictator Suharto was responsible for one of the twentieth century’s bloodiest political massacres. Under the rule of Prabowo, the country’s government is suppressing the m...

jacobin.com/2025/08/indo...

Oh shit… 🫣 … I won’t disclose what high level government official sent that to me.

Camboya sigue atormentada por el legado del Jemer Rojo - Jacobin Revista Hace cincuenta años, el Jemer Rojo tomó el poder en la capital camboyana, Phnom Penh. En lugar de reconstruir el país tras la destructiva campaña de bombardeos estadounidense, el movimiento de Pol Pot...

¡Ahora en español, amigos! #cambodia #khmerrouge #genocide jacobinlat.com/2025/05/camb...

The Thailand–Cambodia War Was About Shoring Up Elite Power Thailand and Cambodia shocked observers by going to war last month. The destructive border conflict doesn’t stem from an upsurge of popular nationalism: the political elites in both countries needed a...

jacobin.com/2025/08/thai...

Thailand and Cambodia kick off over rival martial arts Global interest in the ancient martial art of Muay Thai has boomed in recent decades to the point where Thailand’s national sport is now touted as a future Olym

I forgot that I had a photo published in @thetimes.com two years ago. www.thetimes.com/world/asia/a...

In writer’s block hell right now.

I had to fight my editor to avoid what I started calling “the Ratatouille fallacy”.

The recreation of Gilman brought tears to my eyes.

Someone forgot to take down this webpage:

www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/v...

Bài học từ cuộc 't.h.ả.m s.á.t' chuột ở Hà Nội đầu TK 20 của người Pháp Người Pháp treo thưởng để cư dân Hà Nội diệt chuột, mang đuôi đi nộp. Nhưng sau đó họ bị sốc khi thấy những con chuột không đuổi chạy nhông nhông ngoài đường.

songdep.com.vn/chien-dich-d...

Những con chuột gặm nhấm quyền lực chính quyền thuộc địa Ấn phẩm Cuộc săn chuột lớn ở Hà Nội: Đế quốc, dịch bệnh và tính hiện đại tại Việt Nam thuộc Pháp1 đã phơi lộ một dấu ấn lịch sử hài hước và tăm tối đến từ những sinh vật truyền bệnh vùng nhiệt đới, ch...

tiasang.com.vn/van-hoa/nhun...

Completely fucking embarrassing. This chart! Having AI “add points” to your argument? Insanity to call this ok. And the rest… ☠️

So Big Balls is the MAGA Horst Wessel?

‘1984’ is upon us