Jacob T. Levy

@jacobtlevy.bsky.social

60K followers 1K following 13K posts

Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory, Associate member of Philosophy, Coordinator of Research Group on Constitutional Studies, McGill.
Posts here speak only for myself.
Americo-Canadian; liberaltarian; aging geek.
http://jacobtlevy.com .. more

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Jacob T. Levy is an American political theorist and Tomlinson Professor of Political Theory at McGill University. Levy is the Chair of the Department of Political Science at McGill, as well as the coordinator of McGill's Research Group on Constitutional Studies and the founding director of McGill's Yan P. Lin Centre for the Study of Freedom and Global Orders in the Ancient and Modern Worlds. Levy is also a Senior Fellow at the Niskanen Center and the Institute for Humane Studies. He is known for his expertise on multiculturalism, liberalism, and pluralism. .. more

Political science 68%

Law 8%

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Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 2h

There are many things in this world I don’t understand but I’m not sure there’s anything I don’t understand quite as thoroughly as I don’t understand this.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 3h

I haven’t heard anything about the market in digital pictures of beanie baby apes in a while. Are people still spending millions of dollars on those things?

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 3h

OK, delighted to hear it, will delete my snark. "Anything but theory" searches have become distressingly common and are not usually accompanied by that good news.

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 3h

Today:

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 4h

This has happened against my wishes, and I’m genuinely dismayed by it.

Not because people can’t disagree with my words, but because self-censorship driven by fear (Trump threatening to sue the BBC) should concern all of us. /3

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 4h

This sentence was taken out of a lecture they commissioned, reviewed through the full editorial process, and recorded four weeks ago in front of 500 people in the BBC Radio Theatre.

I was told the decision came from the highest levels within the BBC. /2

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Richard S.J. Tol , and 47 more Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Richard S.J. Tol, David M. Farrell, Will Jennings, Stefan Rahmstorf, Gavin A. Schmidt, Patrick A. Jansen, John Horgan, Steve Peers, Colin Murray, Mark D. White, Huw Price, Dirk Pilat, Charles West, Chris Hanretty, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Mary Corcoran, Anand Menon, Michelle Everson, Ben Worthy, David R. Miller, Aileen McHarg, Jacob T. Levy, Simon Glendinning, Scott A. Imberman, Julie Cupples, Lyndsey Stonebridge, Stephen Ryan, Jonathan Birch, Anne Norton, Hubert Zimmermann, Leo McCann, Graeme Warren, David Bartram, Lisa Diedrich, Clayton Littlejohn, Jack Stilgoe, Jon Dean, Klaus Oschema, Christina Pagel, Daxton R. Stewart, Rune Møller Stahl, Camille Lefebvre, Colin Talbot, Tarik Abou‐Chadi, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Jeroen Van Bouwel, David Spurrett, Speranţa Dumitru

Rutger Bregman @rutgerbregman.com · 4h

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 4h

“Any area of empirical”— “any field except that one field, you know the one…” 😑

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Daniel W. Drezner , and 5 more Brendan Nyhan, Rosemary A. Joyce, Daniel W. Drezner, Robert C. Richards, David R. Miller, Jacob T. Levy, Michael Jones‐Correa, David Darmofal

Mario Bruzzone @bruzzone.bsky.social · 10h

Trump Admin planning a rule to re-decide whether *every* refugee who entered under Biden meets their criteria for a refugee. That’s 230,000 people! And no appeals!

www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...

www.reuters.com

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Paul Crider @paulcrider.liberalcurrents.com · 21h

I'm a huge fan of Sean Carroll! One of the best science communicators out there imo, and a genuine lover of ideas beyond science. www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 22h

Not only did we just receive our largest contribution so far, taking us close to $18,000 total already, but we've also gone past 33,000 followers on Bluesky this morning.

It's largely thanks to the juice this place has that we are taking a next big step today: www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...

Donate to The Liberal Currents Startup Fund, organized by Adam Gurri

To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. Liberal Currents is that. Help… Adam Gurri needs your support for The Liberal Currents Startup Fund

www.gofundme.com

Reposted by Ben H. Ansell, Jan W. Mueller, Elizabeth Saunders , and 8 more Ben H. Ansell, Jan W. Mueller, Elizabeth Saunders, Scott L. Greer, Steve Peers, Jacob T. Levy, Michael D. McDonald, Mark Rice, Nicole Guenther Discenza, Aviel Roshwald, David Darmofal

Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 22h

PUNCHBOWL: “.. GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they, too, are considering retiring in the middle of the term. Here’s one particularly exercised senior House Republican:

@punchbowlnews.bsky.social

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Matthew Budman, book guy @matthewbudman.bsky.social · 1d

I *hate* that interviewers have given up on even gentle pushback when Trump's people confidently assert that they inherited "an absolute economic mess" and therefore had no choice but to set about restructuring the entire U.S. economy

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Andrew Rudalevige

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 1d

The Trump administration inherited an economy that the Economist called "the envy of the world" in a cover story a week before the election and easily could've coasted on that success (again) but instead they set it on fire.

Economist cover from October 2024:

The Envy of the World: America's Economy

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy, Michael Gentile

Maria Popova @popovaprof.bsky.social · 1d

The amnesty is perhaps the most offensive part of the unworkable Trump proposal.

UNITED24 Media @united24media.com · 1d

⚡️ Ukraine is investigating a staggering 178,000 Russian war crimes as Trump’s peace plan raises fears it could grant amnesty to Russian troops.

Ukraine Probes 178,000 Russian War Crimes as US Peace Plan Sparks Amnesty Fears

Investigations into 178,000 alleged war crimes by Russian forces are ongoing in Ukraine amid discussions on a contentious US peace strategy.

united24media.com

Reposted by Kori Schake, Jacob T. Levy

Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 1d

The ongoing, behind-the-scenes evisceration of our apolitical public service will ultimately harm all Conservative and Liberal Americans. Institutions that defend all of us from extremists on the Left and Right, once shattered, do not return soon and may not return ever.

The Steady State @steadystatevets.bsky.social · 1d

“The Justice Department purge has now eclipsed 5,000 employees since January, including resignations, firings and retirements.”
www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-j...

"Quite frankly I was pissed off!" Growing online page chronicles Trump Justice Dept. resignation letters

Amid a wave of departures from the Justice Department, some of its former officials are curating a public online display of the farewell messages of ousted employees.

www.cbsnews.com

Reposted by Robert Black, Jacob T. Levy, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com · 1d

To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. 𝘓𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 is that. Help us grow our voice. www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...

Donate to The Liberal Currents Startup Fund, organized by Adam Gurri

To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. Liberal Currents is that. Help… Adam Gurri needs your support for The Liberal Currents Startup Fund

www.gofundme.com

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Also, "Trump’s Transportation Secretary" is telling, all by itself. The job title is "Secretary of Transportation." I'm quite sure that in previous administrations this is not how Cabinet secretaries announced their initiatives.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

yes, I'm sure advice on civility and politeness from a Trump administration official will work. I can't see any problem with that plan.

www.transportation.gov/briefing-roo...

Reposted by Will Jennings, Jacob T. Levy

Andy Craig @andycraig.bsky.social · 1d

Uhh... those aren't cartoony black-and-white prisoner stripes. They're concentration camp uniforms, blue vertical stripes. It's muddling the two a bit (of course they're variations on the same idea) but the AI slop is obviously pulling from pictures of the latter, it's a very distinct color palette.

Halloween costume of a traditional cartoony prison stripes uniform. Black and white, horizontal stripes.

Auschwitz uniform. Blue and light grey vertical stripes.

Jacob T. Levy @jacobtlevy.bsky.social · 1d

Me upon learning for the first time about “broicism”

Reposted by Jacob T. Levy

Benjamin Wittes @benjaminwittes.lawfaremedia.org · 1d

The Situation, Nov. 23, 2025: On Shame
www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-...

George Mann @sgfmann.bsky.social · 1d

i: Reeves to unveil £600m raid on foreign student
university fees #TomorrowsPapersToday

Reposted by Eric Rasmusen, Rosemary A. Joyce, Lesley A. Hall , and 2 more Eric Rasmusen, Rosemary A. Joyce, Lesley A. Hall, Jacob T. Levy, Amy W. Ando

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

This reminds me of Cardinal John Henry Newman's book Definition of a Gentleman. I often cite Newman's book because it's so instructive. The term gentleman is so overwrought and frequently abused, but to the degree it means anything at all, I think Newman captures it here:

He has his eyes on all his company; he is tender towards the bashful, gentle towards the distant, and merciful towards the absurd; he can recollect to whom he is speaking; he guards against unseasonable allusions, or topics which may irritate; he is seldom prominent in conversation, and never wearisome.

He makes light of favours while he does them, and seems to be receiving when he is conferring. He never speaks of himself except when compelled, never defends himself by a mere retort, he has no ears for slander or gossip, is scrupulous in imputing motives to those who interfere with him, and interprets everything for the best.

He is never mean or little in his disputes, never takes unfair advantage, never mistakes personalities or sharp sayings for arguments, or insinuates evil which he dare not say out. From a long-sighted prudence, he observes the maxim of the ancient sage, that we should ever conduct ourselves towards our enemy as if he were one day to be our friend.

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Robert Black, Jacob T. Levy

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · 1d

Let's move on with the rest of the passage.

Lewis recognizes that modesty raises thorny issues, but he sweeps them aside to focus on the more important spirit. I want to bring your attention to the last sentence here:

bad manners. When, as often happens, they break it defiantly in order to shock or embarrass others, they are not necessarily being unchaste, but they are being uncharitable: for it is uncharitable to take pleasure in making other people uncomfortable. I do not think that a very strict or fussy standard of propriety is any proof of chastity or any help to it, and I therefore regard the great relaxation and simplifying of the rule which has taken place in my own lifetime as a good thing. At its present stage, however, it has this inconvenience, that people of different ages and different types do not all acknowledge the same standard, and we hardly know where we are. While this confusion lasts I think that old, or old-fashioned, people should be very careful not to assume that young or ‘emancipated’ people are corrupt whenever they are (by the old standard) improper; and, in return, that young people should not call their elders prudes or puritans because they do not easily adopt the new standard. A real desire to believe all the good you can of others and to make others as comfortable as you can will solve most of the problems.

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Juan Cole, Jacob T. Levy , and 2 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Juan Cole, Jacob T. Levy, Brian Keegan, Sam Kamin

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 1d

Oddly enough, in media coverage of Dems' video warning against carrying out illegal orders, there's very little discussion of *whether it's actually reasonable to fear Trump is giving illegal commands or not.*

The evidence is strong that he is. Media should say so:

newrepublic.com/article/2035...