Ben Werdmuller
benwerd@nos.social
npub183ng...4n09
I lead technology at ProPublica and write speculative fiction. This is a personal account.
Every day, I write about tech, democracy, and society at https://werd.io.
More about me: https://about.werd.io
The last time this man was in power we wound up with one of the largest civil rights movements ever conducted in the United States. There is so much light; so much bravery; so much fairness and equity and rebellion in so many. Those are the people I believe in. That's what I'm holding onto.
Rogan Misses The Mark: How Zuck’s Misdirection On Gov’t Pressure Goes Unchallenged 
Ben Werdmuller
Rogan Misses The Mark: How Zuck’s Misdirection On Gov’t Pressure Goes Unchallenged
[Mike Masnick at TechDirt]
On Zuckerberg's claims about why he's changing Meta's fact-changing policy:
"If you only remember two things about the...
‘The Interview’: Curtis Yarvin Says Democracy is Done
Ben Werdmuller
‘The Interview’: Curtis Yarvin Says Democracy is Done
[David Marchese in The New York Times]
This profile of Curtis Yarvin in the New York Times (paywalled, probably for the best) is far softer than i...
How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness
Ben Werdmuller
How extreme car dependency is driving Americans to unhappiness
[Oliver Milman in The Guardian]
Car culture isn't just physically bad for us, it affects us mentally too:
"The car is firmly entrenched as the de...
Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment already
Ben Werdmuller
Ratify the Equal Rights Amendment already
Over a hundred years later, it's way past time to get this done.
Look Up Private School Demographics With ProPublica’s New Database
Ben Werdmuller
Look Up Private School Demographics With ProPublica’s New Database
[Sergio Hernández, Nat Lash, Brandon Roberts and Ken Schwencke at ProPublica]
Private schools in the US are much whiter than public schools. My c...
Meta Is Laying the Narrative Groundwork for Trump’s Mass Deportations
Ben Werdmuller
Meta Is Laying the Narrative Groundwork for Trump’s Mass Deportations
[Joseph Cox at 404 Media]
Not just obeying in advance but actively collaborating:
"Multiple speech and content moderation experts 404 Media spoke...
I realized some time ago that all the ways I want America to change just bring it closer to being Europe. Like, what if we had this can-do attitude and all the good parts without the guns and with universal healthcare, real education, unprocessed food without sugar in it, a real safety net, and integrated public transit instead of car culture. Maybe the easier path is if we all, like, move to Amsterdam.
US finalizes rule to effectively ban Chinese vehicles, which could include Polestar
Ben Werdmuller
US finalizes rule to effectively ban Chinese vehicles, which could include Polestar
[Andrew J. Hawkins at The Verge]
I think this is the wrong kind of protectionism:
"The Biden administration finalized a new rule that would effec...