David Kaib
@davidkaib.bsky.social
Political education, socialism, abolition, unions, cats
Pinned
David Kaib
@davidkaib.bsky.social
· Jul 12
For what it's worth, if you are a socialist or interested in socialism, it is *my job* to educate you, so ask away.
Revolutions Podcast by Mike Duncan, currently at season 6, the July Revolution of 1830.
February 14, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Revolutions Podcast by Mike Duncan, currently at season 6, the July Revolution of 1830.
Reposted by David Kaib
“Who’s kitchen table?” remains a hell of a question.
February 14, 2026 at 1:58 PM
“Who’s kitchen table?” remains a hell of a question.
Reposted by David Kaib
It’s very wild we still have people dismissing Black people being pushed out of the workplace as a distraction from “working class”/“kitchen table” issues…
February 14, 2026 at 1:58 PM
It’s very wild we still have people dismissing Black people being pushed out of the workplace as a distraction from “working class”/“kitchen table” issues…
Currently in 1830 France.
February 14, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Currently in 1830 France.
I have spent the last year or so working my way through the Revolutions podcast and it has been immensely clarifying for our present moment.
February 14, 2026 at 3:39 PM
I have spent the last year or so working my way through the Revolutions podcast and it has been immensely clarifying for our present moment.
Reposted by David Kaib
thread. related, my impression is a lot of higher ed administrators are significantly oriented toward making a mark on an institution in the short term so they have a claimable on their CV to get their next admin job elsewhere. that incentivizes vandalizing institutions, whether by AI or otherwise
Yep. The market problem writ large is exceptionally true in highered. But it won’t matter — and doesn’t matter — to those in charge right now because the point is to strip the institution.
Faculty have a role to play, but I'm convinced the most recent drive to automate education will fail, just as it has in every decade since the 1950s, because tuition-paying students hate it.
That said, each new iteration of this drive chips away at budgets, at public trust, at institutions, etc.
That said, each new iteration of this drive chips away at budgets, at public trust, at institutions, etc.
February 13, 2026 at 5:34 PM
thread. related, my impression is a lot of higher ed administrators are significantly oriented toward making a mark on an institution in the short term so they have a claimable on their CV to get their next admin job elsewhere. that incentivizes vandalizing institutions, whether by AI or otherwise
Reposted by David Kaib
Oh yeah. The careerism is certainly a part of this. I go back and forth on if it is an independent variable or an intermediary one. Probably depends on the context.
But I can guarantee you that almost 100% of your “outside” leaders are using this job to run for office.
But I can guarantee you that almost 100% of your “outside” leaders are using this job to run for office.
thread. related, my impression is a lot of higher ed administrators are significantly oriented toward making a mark on an institution in the short term so they have a claimable on their CV to get their next admin job elsewhere. that incentivizes vandalizing institutions, whether by AI or otherwise
Yep. The market problem writ large is exceptionally true in highered. But it won’t matter — and doesn’t matter — to those in charge right now because the point is to strip the institution.
February 13, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Oh yeah. The careerism is certainly a part of this. I go back and forth on if it is an independent variable or an intermediary one. Probably depends on the context.
But I can guarantee you that almost 100% of your “outside” leaders are using this job to run for office.
But I can guarantee you that almost 100% of your “outside” leaders are using this job to run for office.
Reposted by David Kaib
I fear that men are about to do what men do. They are about to characterize any sober thinking about power as non-technical and therefore unserious.
We have seen this pattern over and over again in tech criticism. Women and people of color repeatedly lead on understanding tech changes.
We have seen this pattern over and over again in tech criticism. Women and people of color repeatedly lead on understanding tech changes.
February 11, 2026 at 5:55 PM
I fear that men are about to do what men do. They are about to characterize any sober thinking about power as non-technical and therefore unserious.
We have seen this pattern over and over again in tech criticism. Women and people of color repeatedly lead on understanding tech changes.
We have seen this pattern over and over again in tech criticism. Women and people of color repeatedly lead on understanding tech changes.
Reposted by David Kaib
When people declare that discussing history is an attempt to “permanently stain” etc they’re telling you they’re unwilling to do anything to address the actual history.
It’s like resenting your partner for raising past infidelity, because you refuse to stop flirting with other people.
It’s like resenting your partner for raising past infidelity, because you refuse to stop flirting with other people.
Tell me (aside from the "some progressives" blame) how this conclusion differs in any way from NHJ's framing essay in the 1619 Project.
These arguments are all so annoying. What exactly is the proper amount of guilt? Two pumps of sorrow is acceptable but don't you dare pump a third time?
These arguments are all so annoying. What exactly is the proper amount of guilt? Two pumps of sorrow is acceptable but don't you dare pump a third time?
February 14, 2026 at 2:52 PM
When people declare that discussing history is an attempt to “permanently stain” etc they’re telling you they’re unwilling to do anything to address the actual history.
It’s like resenting your partner for raising past infidelity, because you refuse to stop flirting with other people.
It’s like resenting your partner for raising past infidelity, because you refuse to stop flirting with other people.
And they scoffed at the GOP for working on this population.
February 14, 2026 at 2:39 PM
And they scoffed at the GOP for working on this population.
Reposted by David Kaib
The Atlantic hires Tommy Chats precisely to produce this type of bullshit and I very much suspect he is in on the con.
February 14, 2026 at 1:57 PM
The Atlantic hires Tommy Chats precisely to produce this type of bullshit and I very much suspect he is in on the con.
Fascinating how people whose job is to convince other people to do something increasingly attack them for not doing it.
February 14, 2026 at 1:53 PM
Fascinating how people whose job is to convince other people to do something increasingly attack them for not doing it.
Reposted by David Kaib
I think people who already don't want to care about trans people, poor people, or the chronically ill are happy to find someone on "our side" who makes it clear that he'll make it so they don't have to pretend to. His list of acceptable targets is bolded and underlined.
February 14, 2026 at 1:46 PM
I think people who already don't want to care about trans people, poor people, or the chronically ill are happy to find someone on "our side" who makes it clear that he'll make it so they don't have to pretend to. His list of acceptable targets is bolded and underlined.
Right? Absent this massive full court press to convince everyone it is magic and inevitable (plus the way basic search was degraded to pave the way) I think people would find this laughable. But the bubble funding won’t last forever.
February 14, 2026 at 1:29 PM
Right? Absent this massive full court press to convince everyone it is magic and inevitable (plus the way basic search was degraded to pave the way) I think people would find this laughable. But the bubble funding won’t last forever.
My favorite is when during coverage, they offer ‘AI insights’ that are just basic knowledge about a sport as if we have never had access to such things.
February 14, 2026 at 1:23 PM
My favorite is when during coverage, they offer ‘AI insights’ that are just basic knowledge about a sport as if we have never had access to such things.
Reposted by David Kaib
The tv commercial for AI that I saw during the Olympics makes it very clear that the product is theft, just selling you pirated recipes and words. A yard sale of stolen things marked up and stitched together.
February 14, 2026 at 1:19 PM
The tv commercial for AI that I saw during the Olympics makes it very clear that the product is theft, just selling you pirated recipes and words. A yard sale of stolen things marked up and stitched together.
Reposted by David Kaib
"you unwashed rubes keep talking to one another and drawing connections from whats obviously in front of you when you should instead join me in turning to the unbiased analysis and synthetic insights of apps that tell you gravel is a great substitute for Hamburger Helper"
February 14, 2026 at 12:58 PM
"you unwashed rubes keep talking to one another and drawing connections from whats obviously in front of you when you should instead join me in turning to the unbiased analysis and synthetic insights of apps that tell you gravel is a great substitute for Hamburger Helper"
Reposted by David Kaib
to me it seems bad that broad critiques of "conspiracy theories" and other modes of ostensibly feverish, vulgar, unrealistic, fantastic, insufficiently nuanced thinking etc are deployed alongside a fawning push for the mass adoption of downright goofy language association machines
February 14, 2026 at 12:57 PM
to me it seems bad that broad critiques of "conspiracy theories" and other modes of ostensibly feverish, vulgar, unrealistic, fantastic, insufficiently nuanced thinking etc are deployed alongside a fawning push for the mass adoption of downright goofy language association machines
I don’t know if it’s common. But over the summer I spent a weekend with some high school friends I hadn’t seen in a decade, but had stayed in touch with.
February 14, 2026 at 3:21 AM
I don’t know if it’s common. But over the summer I spent a weekend with some high school friends I hadn’t seen in a decade, but had stayed in touch with.
Why the fuck would anyone want to reform this agency???
Note the framing here:
It’s “Democrats have refused to fund” DHS and not “Republicans refused to prohibit face masks” or “the two parties could not agree on how to reform the agency.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
It’s “Democrats have refused to fund” DHS and not “Republicans refused to prohibit face masks” or “the two parties could not agree on how to reform the agency.”
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...
February 14, 2026 at 2:49 AM
Why the fuck would anyone want to reform this agency???
No another dime
On Thanksgiving, the immigrant children held at the Dilley detention center gathered in the gym for what they thought was a holiday feast.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
The kids salivated over a spread of turkey, sandwiches, pastries and pies, a family told me.
But the food wasn’t for detainees — it was for the staff.
February 14, 2026 at 2:08 AM
No another dime
Aside from that, I doubt he is scrupulously following every statue on the books.
February 14, 2026 at 2:08 AM
Aside from that, I doubt he is scrupulously following every statue on the books.
Reposted by David Kaib
"wages have been flat for decades" is an extremely simple, obviously true concept that explains about 80% of all handwringing op-eds and for some reason they just won't say that
"zoomers are killing the bar industry" oh interesting was it zoomers who decided a drink should cost seventeen dollars
February 13, 2026 at 10:04 PM
"wages have been flat for decades" is an extremely simple, obviously true concept that explains about 80% of all handwringing op-eds and for some reason they just won't say that
It doesn’t appear as though the law requires Gavin to say nice things about Reagan.
February 14, 2026 at 1:01 AM
It doesn’t appear as though the law requires Gavin to say nice things about Reagan.