Joey Fishkin
@fishkin.bsky.social
Law prof @ UCLA. I study equality and oligarchy.
Most recent book @ https://anti-oligarchy.com
Most recent book @ https://anti-oligarchy.com
Pinned
Joey Fishkin
@fishkin.bsky.social
· Oct 22
The Inequality Podcast - Stone Center
stonecenter.uchicago.edu
@durlauf.bsky.social interviewed me for his terrific Inequality Podcast, which highlights different scholars' work on inequality.
It was a fun conversation—and if you'd like an introduction to my work, this is a great place to look (or listen).
Discusses both bottlenecks and oligarchy!
It was a fun conversation—and if you'd like an introduction to my work, this is a great place to look (or listen).
Discusses both bottlenecks and oligarchy!
This is an especially great post from @joshtpm.bsky.social.
Newspapers need a better business model than "find a billionaire to subsidize me"—for many reasons, not least (as Josh argues) because they tend to give up.
"Find a billionaire buyer" turns out to be the darkness in which democracies die.
Newspapers need a better business model than "find a billionaire to subsidize me"—for many reasons, not least (as Josh argues) because they tend to give up.
"Find a billionaire buyer" turns out to be the darkness in which democracies die.
‘Do You Speak Billionaire?’ and Other Stories From the Fall of the Washington Post
I think I can say with little fear of contradiction that I...
talkingpointsmemo.com
February 5, 2026 at 6:04 PM
This is an especially great post from @joshtpm.bsky.social.
Newspapers need a better business model than "find a billionaire to subsidize me"—for many reasons, not least (as Josh argues) because they tend to give up.
"Find a billionaire buyer" turns out to be the darkness in which democracies die.
Newspapers need a better business model than "find a billionaire to subsidize me"—for many reasons, not least (as Josh argues) because they tend to give up.
"Find a billionaire buyer" turns out to be the darkness in which democracies die.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Law is shaped by politics which is shaped by law which is shaped by politics. No accident that the now-famous picture is literally attached to the order.
February 1, 2026 at 5:13 PM
Law is shaped by politics which is shaped by law which is shaped by politics. No accident that the now-famous picture is literally attached to the order.
This graph has been making the rounds and it should. It’s a horror movie in graph form.
Will Americans see it, and if so, can we read it? Serious question.
Will Americans see it, and if so, can we read it? Serious question.
US measles cases this year already exceed the total for the whole of 2023 and 2024 combined, and it is only January. Yikes.
February 1, 2026 at 3:01 AM
This graph has been making the rounds and it should. It’s a horror movie in graph form.
Will Americans see it, and if so, can we read it? Serious question.
Will Americans see it, and if so, can we read it? Serious question.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
::taps mic::
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
A measles outbreak is growing in a rural area of West Texas where vaccination rates are well below the recommended level.
Measles outbreak expands in West Texas around county with low vaccination rate | CNN
A measles outbreak is growing in a rural area of West Texas where vaccination rates are well below the recommended level.
www.cnn.com
February 8, 2025 at 12:36 AM
::taps mic::
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
beyond being an absolutely miserable illness, measles can cause immune amnesia. It wipes out your immune systems memory of how to fight every infection, every vaccine you've ever had.
It’s part of democracy’s immune system to continually check whether you’ve become the tyranny you rebelled against.
This judicial order quoting so much Declaration of Independence—well beyond the famous first line—is part of that.
Even before the biblical photo caption at the end, quite an order!
This judicial order quoting so much Declaration of Independence—well beyond the famous first line—is part of that.
Even before the biblical photo caption at the end, quite an order!
Judge Biery signed the order with a photo of Liam and two bible verses: The first is "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The second is simply "Jesus wept."
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
January 31, 2026 at 9:33 PM
It’s part of democracy’s immune system to continually check whether you’ve become the tyranny you rebelled against.
This judicial order quoting so much Declaration of Independence—well beyond the famous first line—is part of that.
Even before the biblical photo caption at the end, quite an order!
This judicial order quoting so much Declaration of Independence—well beyond the famous first line—is part of that.
Even before the biblical photo caption at the end, quite an order!
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Judge Biery signed the order with a photo of Liam and two bible verses: The first is "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The second is simply "Jesus wept."
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
![Philadelphia, September 17, 1787: "Well, Dr. Franklin, what do we have?" "A republic, if you
can keep it."
With a judicial finger in the constitutional dike,
It is so ORDERED.
SIGNED this 31st day of February, 2026.
_________________________________________________
FRED BIERY
UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
[photo of Liam]
Credit: Bystander
Matthew 19:14
John 11:35](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:73t3muu2pudsajp7a2fj3aly/bafkreigfz6fzbu65haq7nfqgaoe7m42gsaonpinpmaaptuzd5atkqvya4i@jpeg)
January 31, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Judge Biery signed the order with a photo of Liam and two bible verses: The first is "But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." The second is simply "Jesus wept."
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
Astonishing thing for a judge to do.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Yes yes yes this whole thread.
tl;dr means testing sucks and wastes tons of money and makes people's lives more miserable and government should stop being in the business of judging if someone is worthy and just help them because they're a human being.
tl;dr means testing sucks and wastes tons of money and makes people's lives more miserable and government should stop being in the business of judging if someone is worthy and just help them because they're a human being.
New at Can We Still Govern: Here is one thing I wish more people understood about government. There is a lot of rent-seeking by private vendors in our social safety net. Trump's policies will make this worse.
@lukef.bsky.social breaks it down. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-means-...
@lukef.bsky.social breaks it down. 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-means-...
The Means-Testing Industrial Complex
The vendors getting rich from putting administrative burdens on the poor
donmoynihan.substack.com
January 29, 2026 at 4:41 PM
Yes yes yes this whole thread.
tl;dr means testing sucks and wastes tons of money and makes people's lives more miserable and government should stop being in the business of judging if someone is worthy and just help them because they're a human being.
tl;dr means testing sucks and wastes tons of money and makes people's lives more miserable and government should stop being in the business of judging if someone is worthy and just help them because they're a human being.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
NEW: Today, we’re excited to announce the creation of the Nexus Center for Antisemitism Research (NCAR), which will work to improve the quality of research, data, and analysis available to advance the broader mission of confronting hate and promoting Jewish safety.
Senior ADL antisemitism researcher leaves to lead competing effort at watchdog Nexus - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Aryeh Tuchman will direct a new Nexus research center focused on improving data, definitions and public understanding of antisemitism.
www.jta.org
January 29, 2026 at 3:36 PM
NEW: Today, we’re excited to announce the creation of the Nexus Center for Antisemitism Research (NCAR), which will work to improve the quality of research, data, and analysis available to advance the broader mission of confronting hate and promoting Jewish safety.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me."
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
Homan: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die."
January 29, 2026 at 3:32 PM
"I'm coming to Boston and I'm bringing hell with me."
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
--Homan in February
"Do I expect violence to escalate? Absolutely."
-- Tom Homan in March
"I actually thought about getting up and throwing that man a beating right there in the middle of the room"
-- Homan in July, referring to a D congressman
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
One problem is that Democrats look at already passed funding as untouchable, while Republicans look at it as something to chip away at forever.
Case in point: the 2022 IRS surge funding in the Inflation Reduction Act.
TIL the House cut another $11 billion from that last week! And Dems voted for it!
Case in point: the 2022 IRS surge funding in the Inflation Reduction Act.
TIL the House cut another $11 billion from that last week! And Dems voted for it!
ICE and CBP will still be funded through the BBB during a government shutdown but FEMA, TSA, the Coast Guard and others in DHS will not be funded and about 75% of the rest of the government will shut down.
January 29, 2026 at 6:35 AM
One problem is that Democrats look at already passed funding as untouchable, while Republicans look at it as something to chip away at forever.
Case in point: the 2022 IRS surge funding in the Inflation Reduction Act.
TIL the House cut another $11 billion from that last week! And Dems voted for it!
Case in point: the 2022 IRS surge funding in the Inflation Reduction Act.
TIL the House cut another $11 billion from that last week! And Dems voted for it!
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
To say aloud that the vice president is friends with Nazis and to point out that his Holocaust tweet is crafted so as not to offend them is to sound crazy to everyone who doesn’t know both are stone cold facts. Frustrating thing.
Legitimately a feat of carefully calculated writing to issue a Holocaust Remembrance Day statement of this length without mentioning either (1) the people who perpetrated the Holocaust or (2) the people against whom they perpetrated it
January 28, 2026 at 5:34 AM
To say aloud that the vice president is friends with Nazis and to point out that his Holocaust tweet is crafted so as not to offend them is to sound crazy to everyone who doesn’t know both are stone cold facts. Frustrating thing.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Legitimately a feat of carefully calculated writing to issue a Holocaust Remembrance Day statement of this length without mentioning either (1) the people who perpetrated the Holocaust or (2) the people against whom they perpetrated it
January 28, 2026 at 3:00 AM
Legitimately a feat of carefully calculated writing to issue a Holocaust Remembrance Day statement of this length without mentioning either (1) the people who perpetrated the Holocaust or (2) the people against whom they perpetrated it
Bari Weiss obviously has been given lots of room by her equally novice boss to do what she wants at CBS—for now.
What she can't do is get all her professional journalists to keep her various moves a secret.
Amazing final line of the NYT's report from her first all-hands meeting:
What she can't do is get all her professional journalists to keep her various moves a secret.
Amazing final line of the NYT's report from her first all-hands meeting:
January 28, 2026 at 5:51 AM
Bari Weiss obviously has been given lots of room by her equally novice boss to do what she wants at CBS—for now.
What she can't do is get all her professional journalists to keep her various moves a secret.
Amazing final line of the NYT's report from her first all-hands meeting:
What she can't do is get all her professional journalists to keep her various moves a secret.
Amazing final line of the NYT's report from her first all-hands meeting:
Yikes. That is a lot of expertise to lose in a short time.
January 28, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Yikes. That is a lot of expertise to lose in a short time.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
ICE is changing tactics in Maine: "Now, the volunteers in Maine say federal agents have started showing up at their homes and intimidating them or threatening arrest. Some of them, masked and wearing tactical gear, have issued stark warnings not to follow them." www.pressherald.com/2026/01/23/i...
ICE watchers in Maine say they were threatened by federal agents
Community members have been monitoring the activity of immigration agents in Greater Portland.
www.pressherald.com
January 26, 2026 at 11:06 PM
ICE is changing tactics in Maine: "Now, the volunteers in Maine say federal agents have started showing up at their homes and intimidating them or threatening arrest. Some of them, masked and wearing tactical gear, have issued stark warnings not to follow them." www.pressherald.com/2026/01/23/i...
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
I interviewed over half a dozen ICE and Border Patrol agents who describe an agency that sounds like Reno 911!
“I thought federal agents were supposed to be clean cut but some of them pass around a flask as we are watching a suspect,” one told me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-unloads
“I thought federal agents were supposed to be clean cut but some of them pass around a flask as we are watching a suspect,” one told me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-unloads
ICE Unloads
Immigration officers speak out: “Fuck this.”
www.kenklippenstein.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:38 AM
I interviewed over half a dozen ICE and Border Patrol agents who describe an agency that sounds like Reno 911!
“I thought federal agents were supposed to be clean cut but some of them pass around a flask as we are watching a suspect,” one told me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-unloads
“I thought federal agents were supposed to be clean cut but some of them pass around a flask as we are watching a suspect,” one told me:
www.kenklippenstein.com/p/ice-unloads
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Following the Kent State massacre in May 1970, a Gallup poll showed that 58% of Americans thought the shootings were justified. The night *before* the killings, Ohio's GOP governor described the student protesters this way: "They're the worst type of people that we harbor in America."
January 26, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Following the Kent State massacre in May 1970, a Gallup poll showed that 58% of Americans thought the shootings were justified. The night *before* the killings, Ohio's GOP governor described the student protesters this way: "They're the worst type of people that we harbor in America."
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
ICE has kidnapped another Indigenous person in Minneapolis. This is the fifth member of the Očhéthi Šakówinnto be taken this month.
Statement from Standing Rock:
Statement from Standing Rock:
January 25, 2026 at 9:03 PM
ICE has kidnapped another Indigenous person in Minneapolis. This is the fifth member of the Očhéthi Šakówinnto be taken this month.
Statement from Standing Rock:
Statement from Standing Rock:
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Bipartisan 2024 law bans TikTok unless Chinese company sells it because the content is too pro-Palestine
Trump never enforces ban
Trump issues executive order allowing sale of TikTok to his tech friends
TikTok becomes arm of the regime
Trump never enforces ban
Trump issues executive order allowing sale of TikTok to his tech friends
TikTok becomes arm of the regime
This morning, I recorded a video on TikTok about why DHS’s arguments for the power to enter homes without judicial warrants in immigration cases are bunk.
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
Nine hours later, TikTok still says my video is “under review,” and can’t be shared.
Well, here’s a link:
georgetown.box.com/v/Vladeck-IC...
January 26, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Bipartisan 2024 law bans TikTok unless Chinese company sells it because the content is too pro-Palestine
Trump never enforces ban
Trump issues executive order allowing sale of TikTok to his tech friends
TikTok becomes arm of the regime
Trump never enforces ban
Trump issues executive order allowing sale of TikTok to his tech friends
TikTok becomes arm of the regime
Wow.
Two weeks ago this guy announced he was providing legal help to the agent who shot Renee Good. That's how quickly the winds are shifting.
pretty wild statement re: Republican Chris Madel drop from race for MN governor:
"Saying he cannot support the national GOP's 'stated retribution on citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."
"Saying he cannot support the national GOP's 'stated retribution on citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."
January 26, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Wow.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Two weeks ago this guy announced he was providing legal help to the agent who shot Renee Good. That's how quickly the winds are shifting.
pretty wild statement re: Republican Chris Madel drop from race for MN governor:
"Saying he cannot support the national GOP's 'stated retribution on citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."
"Saying he cannot support the national GOP's 'stated retribution on citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so."
January 26, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Two weeks ago this guy announced he was providing legal help to the agent who shot Renee Good. That's how quickly the winds are shifting.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Minnesota National Guard on why they’re giving out coffee and donuts: “It’s a demonstration of safety and security. We’re here to help.”
🥹
🥹
January 26, 2026 at 4:23 AM
Minnesota National Guard on why they’re giving out coffee and donuts: “It’s a demonstration of safety and security. We’re here to help.”
🥹
🥹
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.
January 26, 2026 at 1:40 AM
I know it's hard to track all the threats to democracy out there right now, but this is at the top of the list.
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
Reposted by Joey Fishkin
