Senior culture correspondent, The Economist. Podcaster. Ex-DC,SE Asia,Atlanta,London,Moscow. Author: Geographer’s Library, Unpossessed City, We See It All.
Joined November 2009
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Jon Fasman retweeted
Re: "that ad is about Israel, not Jews":
If there was an ad hammering on the idea that the reason you can't pay for your groceries is that we're spending too much on aid to Africa, I'm guessing few people left of center would have trouble seeing that as racist
Jon Fasman retweeted
This ad is vile. One thing that's so despicable about far-left hatred of Israel is how quickly they just glide past the fact that Israel was subject to horrific terrorist violence. One does not have to agree with all Israeli policies (I certainly don't) to know that this is a grotesque caricature.
New low for normalized Jew-hate in the American Democratic Party. Very sad:
Painting your political opponents as puppets of Jews, as this El-Sayed ad does, and as crazed baby-killers and money-grubbing villains who are the root cause of every bad thing not just in the world, but in your life—from wars to the price of eggs to the reason you can’t have free healthcare—is not just low-grade Jew-hate. It’s pure Third Reich stuff, translated directly from the original German.
Do you remember when Jewish Democrats in Michigan explained that they would vote for El-Sayed despite his open disdain for Jews, since there are many other important issues they need him to fight for? That anything was worth it to “defeat MAGA”?
Well, here’s El-Sayed’s answer to them: Don’t worry, all those issues we agree on, like healthcare, inflation, and climate change, I’m going to make them about Jews too! I will tell the public that the Jews are the reason they can’t have those things.
Jon Fasman retweeted
more wild and insane ranting. "You think" is instructive here since it precedes something literally no one thinks. Whether or not the ad is anti-semitic LOTS of Jews think it fans anti-semitic violence. But that doesn't matter to Cenk or far too many people on the progressive left (sadly) because the subjective experience of Jews doesn't matter. It's true that a minority group's subjective experience of danger or bigotry toward it is not fact. But it is important to note that this isn't a criteria the same people apply to literally any other minority group. And the fact remains that Jews are the targets of hate crimes at dramatically higher rates than any other group in the US relative to their population size. That's not the same as prejudice or discrimination which can express itself in more systemic and less measurable ways (especially with African-Americans). But this isn't theoretical. The frequency of anti-semitic hate crimes is rising.
Jon Fasman retweeted
I am not saying this for effect, I mean it quite literally: rhetoric like this gets Jews killed. Cenk is not just an embarassment, he is a hateful demagogue.
New @RebellionPac ad dropping in Michigan. We have to suffer here at home, so Israel can get all its wars. That’s why they buy politicians like Mike Rogers. He promised to serve Israel “unconditionally,” but never made that promise to you.
Jon Fasman retweeted
I see Jews saying this constantly and then basically every media outlet covers this as us being single issue pro-Israel voters. Israel can handle its problems. We are a minority facing record high antisemitic violence.
Jon Fasman retweeted
The allegations around Amy Griffin's conduct — including, with the endless access available to her as a billionaire-by-marriage, attempting to take revenge against the *minor child* of a journalist who reported on her — are really sad and scary. semafor.com/article/10/25/20…
Jon Fasman retweeted
People—Democrats, Republicans, Independents—clamoring to support the Peltolas and Coopers is actually a validation of their candidate quality!
It’s good to have candidates people want to associate with and that should be a factor when assessing candidate quality!
Ridiculous.
For all the folks still pretending El-Sayed’s race is the same as Cooper’s or Peltola’s, do they have former Dem rivals refusing to fully endorse them on national TV?
‘Blue no matter who’ was a hypocritical centrist lie and this hypocrisy may hurt Dems in 2028.
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Hayley Stevens endorsed Abdul El-Sayed following the primary win by Abdul.
She stated on August 2026,
“I am proud to offer my support as he takes on Mike Rogers in the general election."
bbc.com/news/articles/…
Jon Fasman retweeted
Cheesecake Factory populism is so weird to me because the rise of chain restaurants created over-the-top, replicable dining experiences, which eventually put the final squeeze on mom-and-pop restaurants, such as the US version of trattorias. I would argue those family-owned neighborhood businesses made the dining experience feel more special and pulled communities together. The shift to chain restaurants homogenized American life and concentrated corporate power. Strange to frame corporate consolidation as "populism."
Jon Fasman retweeted
An insane and deeply troubling story from @semaforben semafor.com/article/10/25/20…
Jon Fasman retweeted
The Economist's estimate of Britain's age- and sex-standardised conviction rates for sexual offences by the offender's nationality
economist.com/britain/2026/1…
Jon Fasman retweeted
This is one of the most antisemitic things I've ever seen in a political ad, and it's for Abdul El-Sayed. The message: your life is hard, groceries are expensive, and the Jewish state is why. Total madness!
This is one of the most comical ads this election cycle. Yes, Americans are chatting at the grocery store about how they can’t buy groceries because their tax dollars “go to Israel” 🙄 😂 nevermind the fact that Israel has invested 100% of military aid in the U.S. economy since Oct 7, and has also purchased over $1 billion *additional* in arms, according to DoD. Federal military aid is also prohibited from being spent on anything other than U.S. arms, so the line about healthcare is even more comical. El Sayed and his Islamist fans like Cenk Uygur want and expect American voters to be so stupid they never check.
Not only is this ad insane, conspiratorial, and antisemitic — it is also flat out false. El Sayed isn’t for the people of Michigan, he isn’t even for America. He is for the Muslim Brotherhood.
Jon Fasman retweeted
Today would have been Jimmy Heath's birthday. I am grateful for everything the talented Mr. Heath has given our community.
Help me honor his legacy by listening to a piece we recorded together... youtu.be/Lzz-KOxfkp4
#planetelegance #roncarter #jazz #jimmyheath
Jon Fasman retweeted
An oldie but a goodie. In 1968 a bunch of entitled hippy bastards sent a letter detailing their specious demands to the Warden and Fellows of Wadham College, Oxford. This was their letter of reply, which speaks to how far the academy has since fallen.
Jon Fasman retweeted
🧵I report for @NewHampJournal, New Hampshire's only right-of-center political news publication. I've covered @AndyBeshearKY, @ReverendWarnock, @MikieSherrill and @GavinNewsom, who happily answered my question.
And here's what it's like covering @KamalaHarris in New Hampshire
Jon Fasman retweeted
Great opening but I'm going to push back on "the clocks were striking thirteen." Many readers will find this confusing. Do you want me to add a clarification like "because it was the future"?
Jon Fasman retweeted
Criticism of Israel: "I don't agree with the Israeli government's policies, here's what I would do instead"
Not criticism of Israel: making gas chamber noises at Jewish children.
Echoing Abbie: This is an incredible piece of journalism.
This, by the unstoppable @khoureld, is one of the most extraordinary pieces I’ve ever worked on. There are unforgettable horrors in it, but also amazing moments of bravery and solidarity (and karaoke under drone strikes). Worth every minute of your time economist.com/interactive/18…
Jon Fasman retweeted
Let this incident serve as yet another reminder that those who engage in blatantly antisocial behavior in public settings aren’t merely displaying a lack of manners. Whether it’s smoking or playing loud music, what they’re doing is daring those around them to confront them. If passengers stay silent and avoid eye-contact, the antisocial thug gets to tell himself it’s because he’s such a badass. If someone does speak up, the antisocial ruffian gets to use that as an excuse to give in to his violent impulses.
Jon Fasman retweeted
The ACLU is a good example of an organization that is being hollowed out by activists who don't understand its real mission.
The goal is not to protect "vulnerable" communities.
The goal is to protect civil liberties.
NEW: The ACLU of Indiana is in turmoil after several of its most influential civil rights attorneys submitted their resignations in protest of the organization's direction under its board and incoming leader, multiple sources told @indystar . indystar.com/story/news/poli…
Jon Fasman retweeted
As I've said before, I like Mamdani a lot, but this Latino security guard's death wasn't just about gun violence -- it was also about the failure of New York to address low-level criminality, disorder, and antisocial behavior in public spaces. Bring back broken-windows policing.
It is totally unacceptable to ask riders to enforce the rules on transit in a country with over 400 million guns. We need more police and private security on our trains and buses.
nydailynews.com/2026/10/22/b…
