The First Thing They Stole Was The Story

04/11/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, Songs france, haiti, korrine sky, slavery, UN, USA

I felt compelled to repost this LinkedIn post by Korrine Sky, who's a culture-first brand strategist & entrepreneur in England. I added links for more information. Scroll to the bottom for two versions of a spoken word piece based on the text. Peace, MAA ChatGPT created this image based on Korrine Sky's post. They say … Continue reading The First Thing They Stole Was The Story

“Describe the Present US Predicament in 250 Words or Less.”

30/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Articles, Commentary authoritarianism, chatGPT, christo-fascism, oligarchy, US predicament, USA

Jeffrey St. Clair, co-editor of CounterPunch, and several other writers were asked by the Toni Morrison Foundation to do exactly that. Below is a slightly expanded version with 331 words. Jeff's original version appeared in the fall issue of Ishmael Reed’s new magazine, Tar Baby. Knowing that every word counts, what would you say, dear reader? … Continue reading “Describe the Present US Predicament in 250 Words or Less.”

These Beautiful Flames

12/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary authoritarianism, dear leader, DeepSeek, maga 2.0, metaphorical dumpster fire, these beautiful flames, trump, USA

Here's one of the latest results of my ongoing experimentation with AI. This is DeepSeek's upbeat version of a song about the US as a metaphorical dumpster fire that I promised to share with you in this 10 October 2025 blog post, The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire. It's not bad, but it's not … Continue reading These Beautiful Flames

The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire

10/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary authoritarianism, chatGPT, christo-fascism, cultural icons, dumpster fire, dystopian, economic strain, gun violence, healthcare and education, political division, USA

Gemini created this straightforward image in response to the following prompt: Create an image of a dumpster fire and a U.S. flag. If I were to edit this image, part of the flag would be on fire to make the image less literal and more symbolic. I asked ChatGPT to create an image based on this … Continue reading The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire

National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7): The Devil is in the Details

04/10/202507/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary authoritarianism, christo-fascism, dear leader, fascism, stephen miller, the devil in the details, trump, USA

Posted by Rachel Hurley on her Facebook page. Follow this link to read the original document on The White House website. This memorandum, which takes the US one step closer to full-throated fascism, has the filthy and bloodstained paw prints of Stephen Miller all over it. Here are the operative sections: The memorandum lists specific … Continue reading National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7): The Devil is in the Details

Fascism Isn’t a Slur for Politics We Don’t Like

28/09/202503/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary authoritarianism, derek johnson, fascism, MAGA, trump 2.0, USA

Faced with what is right, yet doing nothing about it shows a lack of courage. Confucius, The Analects 2.24 This is a 19 September 2025 Facebook post by Derek Johnson, Managing Director at Research Collaborative in Washington, D.C. Merriam Webster defines fascism as "a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the … Continue reading Fascism Isn’t a Slur for Politics We Don’t Like

Empire’s Use of Occupation & Propaganda as a Weapon

25/08/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary afghanistan, colonialism, empire, ethnic cleansing, first intigada, freedom, genocide, Greater Israel, hamas, iraq, iraq war, israel, lebensraum, PLO, ryan ward, security, syria, USA, Zionism

Below is a LinkedIn post by Ryan Ward, who is based in Cambridge, England. It's a simple explanation for people who "condemn Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) without ever asking why they exist in the first place." I know some of these people, otherwise kind, caring, and compassionate individuals who have swallowed this particular hasbara talking … Continue reading Empire’s Use of Occupation & Propaganda as a Weapon

Theresienstadt (1944) and Gaza (2025)

24/08/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary aid death trap, ethnic cleansing, gaza, genocide, idf, iof, israel, starvation, theresienstadt, USA, witkoff

Image created by ChatGPT This is a LinkedIn post by Judith Smit about Steve Witkoff's recent visit to the Gaza aid death trap. comparing it to a 1944 Nazi film about the Theresienstadt concentration camp. In 1944, deep into the Second World War, the Nazi regime produced a film in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. The … Continue reading Theresienstadt (1944) and Gaza (2025)

Technical State of Civil War

06/08/202525/09/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary civil war, MAGA, trump, US constitution, USA

This is a repost of a Facebook post by Robert Hawks, who lives in Michigan City, Indiana. I know it's long, all 3,387 words and 14 minutes, but it's so worth it. Trust me. So turn off the TV, mute your phone, grab a drink of choice, and start reading. Read it to the end … Continue reading Technical State of Civil War

“Tear Down the Walls”

09/06/202508/06/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, video arrests, authoritarianism, christofascism, cold as ICE, deportation, deportations, detention, ethnic cleansing, FUBAR, gaza, genocide, ICE, israel, lawlessness, MAGA, palestine, resist, shitstorm, tear down the walls, USA

REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Lucy NicholsonThe badge of ICE Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, in Hawthorne, California. File photo March 1, 2020. I created this song "in honor of" ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), a US government agency from hell. Let me know which version you prefer in the comments section below, on my … Continue reading “Tear Down the Walls”

An International Educator in Vietnam

Information, Insights & (Frequently) Intrigue

USA