Ivo Vegter (@ivovegter.bsky.social)
@IvoVegter
Columnist at The Daily Friend. Advocate for classical liberalism, non-racialism, science and reason. No time for bigotry. Look up Brandolini's Law.
The censors behind the scenes dailyfriend.co.za/2025/07/25/the… (My latest column. Steam and itch.io are the latest victims of payment processors acting as powerful, unaccountable private censors on behalf of self-appointed fringe moralists.)
Brits can get around Discord's age verification thanks to Death Stranding's photo mode, bypassing the measure introduced with the UK's Online Safety Act. pcgamer.com/hardware/brits… (Apropos my recent column on the silly idea of mandatory online age verification.)
Help me find the man on the right, I want to interview him:
How does political messaging frequently misrepresent international law involving armed conflict, and why does it matter? It's been going on for a long time, but the prevalence has skyrocketed since Oct 7. This joint statement from @FCDOGovUK + 30 int'l partners is just the most…
The suffering of civilians in Gaza has reached new depths. Alongside 25 other partners, the UK message is clear: the war in Gaza must end now. We need an immediate ceasefire, release of all hostages and a full resumption of aid. gov.uk/government/new…
"In short, building a bullet train to Polokwane is either entirely crazy, or assumes a degree of urbanisation and economic growth around its stops that would make demographers wince and economists gasp." - @IvoVegter dailyfriend.co.za/2025/07/22/the…
Bet they'll write a lengthy piece on how South Africans oppose it, when all their poll options signal opposition. An unbiased poll would have two options: agree or disagree. Support or oppose.
What do you think about the possibility of U.S targeted sanctions against ANC Leaders?
This Senator perfectly captures the willful, contemptuous cruelty of Trump 2.0. The MAGA faithful idolise him like the anointed of Jesus. Jesus at least fed the poor. youtube.com/shorts/eYmZXSW…
National Security Blanket: How Classified Excuses Tuck Predators In at Night There is a curious moment in nearly every high-profile scandal where the momentum of public outrage collides with the bureaucratic wall labeled “classified.” It’s the institutional version of pulling…
National Amnesia: How Washington Forgot It Already Had the Epstein Files There’s something truly majestic about watching seasoned politicians, national security veterans, and former prosecutors perform synchronized cognitive dissonance on live television. There they are, brow…
The Threat to Free Speech in Trump’s Unprecedented Wall Street Journal Suit open.substack.com/pub/thebulwark… "This is about intimidation, bullying, and silencing speech." (From the administration that campaigned on defending free speech.)
Battle over the government’s plan to control privately-owned CCTV cameras businesstech.co.za/news/governmen… (Next they'll demand a licence to look at the street from your own yard. Police can ask nicely or get warrants to access CCTV camera footage. Burying them under red tape is crazy.)
The South African government “has formally notified Taiwan it will no longer recognise its diplomatic mission in Pretoria, reinforcing its adherence to the “One China” policy.”, Business Day reports. Of course, South Africa was instructed by China to do this. Sickening!
Ozzy Osbourne, prince of darkness who rose to fame with Black Sabbath, dies aged 76 independent.co.uk/arts-entertain…
The crazy bullet train to nowhere dailyfriend.co.za/2025/07/22/the… (My latest column. Gauteng and Limpopo provinces are planning a high-speed rail connection. The jackpot question is: why, oh why?)
There is no “media narrative,” mostly dailyfriend.co.za/2025/07/20/the… (My latest column. The media is often accused, en bloc, of following a particular narrative. What that narrative might be, and who writes it, varies depending on who you ask.)
How would Mandela tackle SA’s problems today if he were in Ramaphosa’s shoes? by Jonny Steinberg In 2023 South African author Jonny Steinberg published a book on former South African president Nelson Mandela and his tumultuous marriage to Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. To mark the…
Sowetan leaks alleged National Security Council Report da.org.za/2025/07/soweta… (Emma Louise Powell blows whistle on Mcebisi Jonas's alleged failure as an envoy to US. State sics spies on her and leaks classified intelligence report to the media. Straight intimidation. Criminal.)
