Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
@janetbufton.ca
Canadian mum, 3D liberal in Babylon
Writing collected at janetbufton.ca
diversity dynamism democracy Detroit Lions
Elbows up.
Writing collected at janetbufton.ca
diversity dynamism democracy Detroit Lions
Elbows up.
Pinned
Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
@janetbufton.ca
· Jan 8
Democracy for liberal people
Market liberals need liberal democracy
www.janetbufton.ca
I've been working on a market liberal case for democracy. That case now spans four pieces, all of which are linked in my latest blog post.
ft most prominently Don Lavoie, Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social, Benjamin Constant, Adam Smith, and James Buchanan...
ft most prominently Don Lavoie, Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social, Benjamin Constant, Adam Smith, and James Buchanan...
Got one for the bird butts feed.
January 10, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Got one for the bird butts feed.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
I have no doubt that there will be fundraising banquet dinners this year at which Republican politicians will say that they're celebrating the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations who the next morning will go back to their jobs serving an administration devoted to undoing Smith.
January 10, 2026 at 4:46 PM
I have no doubt that there will be fundraising banquet dinners this year at which Republican politicians will say that they're celebrating the 250th anniversary of Adam Smith's Wealth of Nations who the next morning will go back to their jobs serving an administration devoted to undoing Smith.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
"Restricted" is the wrong word, clearly.
What Musk has actually done is make the undressing of any woman or child on the platform an EXCLUSIVE feature for paying subscribe. He's made it a subscriber perk. This is some of the most fucked-up shit ever.
What Musk has actually done is make the undressing of any woman or child on the platform an EXCLUSIVE feature for paying subscribe. He's made it a subscriber perk. This is some of the most fucked-up shit ever.
"Elon Musk's startup xAI has restricted the image generation function on its Grok chatbot on social media platform X to paid subscribers, after the tool's use of AI to create sexualized images sparked a widespread backlash." www.reuters.com/sustainabili...
Musk's AI bot Grok limits image generation on X to paid users after backlash
Elon Musk's startup xAI has restricted the image generation function on its Grok chatbot on social media platform X to paid subscribers, after the tool's use of AI to create sexualized images sparked ...
www.reuters.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:36 PM
"Restricted" is the wrong word, clearly.
What Musk has actually done is make the undressing of any woman or child on the platform an EXCLUSIVE feature for paying subscribe. He's made it a subscriber perk. This is some of the most fucked-up shit ever.
What Musk has actually done is make the undressing of any woman or child on the platform an EXCLUSIVE feature for paying subscribe. He's made it a subscriber perk. This is some of the most fucked-up shit ever.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
One thing that makes me absolutely insane about the Weiss faction is how they use the language of polarization to simp for the regime.
It is not the media's job is not to smother discontent over genuinely abhorrent things. It is, in fact, the fucking opposite.
It is not the media's job is not to smother discontent over genuinely abhorrent things. It is, in fact, the fucking opposite.
New CBS News anchor Tony Dokoupil closing the broadcast from MN last night.
January 9, 2026 at 2:13 PM
One thing that makes me absolutely insane about the Weiss faction is how they use the language of polarization to simp for the regime.
It is not the media's job is not to smother discontent over genuinely abhorrent things. It is, in fact, the fucking opposite.
It is not the media's job is not to smother discontent over genuinely abhorrent things. It is, in fact, the fucking opposite.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Westerners are uniquely good at treating strangers fairly. That’s why we must expel all the immigrants.
That may sound weird but we also have more psychological traits than they do
That may sound weird but we also have more psychological traits than they do
January 9, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Westerners are uniquely good at treating strangers fairly. That’s why we must expel all the immigrants.
That may sound weird but we also have more psychological traits than they do
That may sound weird but we also have more psychological traits than they do
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked WhatsApp messages show Labour MPs urging govt to leave X, arguing that it should "show direction to others in the UK"
The MPs said X owner Elon Musk is "fascist" and that the platform's AI tool, Grok, had put "children in harm's way"
The MPs said X owner Elon Musk is "fascist" and that the platform's AI tool, Grok, had put "children in harm's way"
January 9, 2026 at 2:20 PM
EXCLUSIVE: Leaked WhatsApp messages show Labour MPs urging govt to leave X, arguing that it should "show direction to others in the UK"
The MPs said X owner Elon Musk is "fascist" and that the platform's AI tool, Grok, had put "children in harm's way"
The MPs said X owner Elon Musk is "fascist" and that the platform's AI tool, Grok, had put "children in harm's way"
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Getting pampered elites at Harvard and CBS to give in is easy. Threaten their privileges and they fold. But ordinary people — ordinary *Americans* — are proving to be made of sterner stuff.
Also, MAGA forgets most Americans do not share their total contempt for women.
Also, MAGA forgets most Americans do not share their total contempt for women.
January 8, 2026 at 11:08 PM
Getting pampered elites at Harvard and CBS to give in is easy. Threaten their privileges and they fold. But ordinary people — ordinary *Americans* — are proving to be made of sterner stuff.
Also, MAGA forgets most Americans do not share their total contempt for women.
Also, MAGA forgets most Americans do not share their total contempt for women.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Timeline cleanse: the kindest town in North America is at it again.
Gander, N.L., residents drop everything to drive stranded air passengers to hotels
Residents of Gander, N.L., formed an impromptu volunteer shuttle service for about 200 passengers aboard two planes forced to land unexpectedly at the town’s airport on Wednesday night.
www.ctvnews.ca
January 9, 2026 at 2:48 AM
Timeline cleanse: the kindest town in North America is at it again.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Thanks to the support of hundreds of donors, mainly Research Group on Constitutional Studies alumni, students, and faculty, as of January 8, 2026, the reading room in Ferrier 428B that makes up the central intellectual meeting space for RGCS, is named the Judith Nisse Shklar Reading Room.
January 8, 2026 at 8:57 PM
Thanks to the support of hundreds of donors, mainly Research Group on Constitutional Studies alumni, students, and faculty, as of January 8, 2026, the reading room in Ferrier 428B that makes up the central intellectual meeting space for RGCS, is named the Judith Nisse Shklar Reading Room.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
The fear [liberalism] does want to prevent is that which is created by arbitrary, unexpected, unnecessary, and unlicensed acts of force and by habitual and pervasive acts of cruelty and torture performed by military, paramilitary, and police agents in any regime."
Shklar 1989, but timeless.
Shklar 1989, but timeless.
January 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
The fear [liberalism] does want to prevent is that which is created by arbitrary, unexpected, unnecessary, and unlicensed acts of force and by habitual and pervasive acts of cruelty and torture performed by military, paramilitary, and police agents in any regime."
Shklar 1989, but timeless.
Shklar 1989, but timeless.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
"The assumption, amply justified by every page of political history, is that some agents of government will behave lawlessly and brutally in small or big ways most of the time unless they are prevented from doing so....
1/2
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Thanks to the support of hundreds of donors, mainly Research Group on Constitutional Studies alumni, students, and faculty, as of January 8, 2026, the reading room in Ferrier 428B that makes up the central intellectual meeting space for RGCS, is named the Judith Nisse Shklar Reading Room.
January 8, 2026 at 9:04 PM
"The assumption, amply justified by every page of political history, is that some agents of government will behave lawlessly and brutally in small or big ways most of the time unless they are prevented from doing so....
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If the exec is lawless and the legislature won't hold it accountable, what can we do? "There are many sensible answers to this question, but perhaps none more daunting to policy wonks than a call for civic and spiritual renewal that restores a respect for the moral worth of the liberal tradition."
The Spirit of the Laws
The Constitution is not in heaven. Without honorable and virtuous public officials, constitutional limits have no meaning.
www.liberalcurrents.com
January 8, 2026 at 10:40 AM
If the exec is lawless and the legislature won't hold it accountable, what can we do? "There are many sensible answers to this question, but perhaps none more daunting to policy wonks than a call for civic and spiritual renewal that restores a respect for the moral worth of the liberal tradition."
Donald Trump seems like a man who would graciously share what he considers due to him with a woman, especially a Latin American woman, and let bygones be bygones.
January 6, 2026 at 1:30 PM
Donald Trump seems like a man who would graciously share what he considers due to him with a woman, especially a Latin American woman, and let bygones be bygones.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Valuable Benjamin Constant content from
@gawattia.bsky.social at @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-logic-of...
@gawattia.bsky.social at @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-logic-of...
The Logic of Liberalism
Contra the dreams of populist strongmen, real constraints on executive power are the only approach consistent with real freedom.
www.liberalcurrents.com
January 5, 2026 at 11:02 AM
Valuable Benjamin Constant content from
@gawattia.bsky.social at @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-logic-of...
@gawattia.bsky.social at @liberalcurrents.com
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-logic-of...
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
The Globe just went full Melian Dialogue.
January 4, 2026 at 11:52 AM
The Globe just went full Melian Dialogue.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
This is something the right freaks out every time something like it comes out but it’s just another day of the surgeon general saying a thing, and that’s it; when was the last time you looked up what the surgeon general said or provided guidance on anything
US Surgeon General warns alcohol is a "leading preventable cause of cancer," with risk of certain cancers increasing after one or fewer drinks per day
US Surgeon General sounds alarm about link between alcohol and cancer | CNN
The advisory “highlights alcohol use as a leading preventable cause of cancer in the United States, contributing to nearly 100,000 cancer cases and about 20,000 cancer deaths each year.”
www.cnn.com
January 3, 2025 at 2:14 PM
This is something the right freaks out every time something like it comes out but it’s just another day of the surgeon general saying a thing, and that’s it; when was the last time you looked up what the surgeon general said or provided guidance on anything
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
2026 is the year we level up The Pulaski Institution in our mission to promote democracy in the heartlands.
I’m so proud of what we’ve done so far on an almost non-existent budget, and I know we have a unique vision that is more relevant than ever.
Won’t you join us?
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
I’m so proud of what we’ve done so far on an almost non-existent budget, and I know we have a unique vision that is more relevant than ever.
Won’t you join us?
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
January 3, 2026 at 9:19 AM
2026 is the year we level up The Pulaski Institution in our mission to promote democracy in the heartlands.
I’m so proud of what we’ve done so far on an almost non-existent budget, and I know we have a unique vision that is more relevant than ever.
Won’t you join us?
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
I’m so proud of what we’ve done so far on an almost non-existent budget, and I know we have a unique vision that is more relevant than ever.
Won’t you join us?
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
It is not the point of Furious Minds, but in her introductory chapter, @lkatfield.bsky.social says, "Becoming a mother has made me ferociously attached to liberalism", and it's such a relief to hear someone else say so.
January 3, 2026 at 2:39 AM
It is not the point of Furious Minds, but in her introductory chapter, @lkatfield.bsky.social says, "Becoming a mother has made me ferociously attached to liberalism", and it's such a relief to hear someone else say so.
The website for this exhibit is pretty great.
January 2, 2026 at 1:12 PM
The website for this exhibit is pretty great.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
December 31, 2025 at 11:31 PM
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
June 5, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Free trade: it is good.
January 1, 2026 at 5:47 PM
Free trade: it is good.