Karl Widerquist
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karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist
@karlwiderquist.bsky.social
2K followers 1.5K following 700 posts

Political philosopher & economist focused on distributive justice. Writes about Basic Income; the ethics of poverty, freedom, inequality, & other stuff. Works at Georgetown-Qatar. Lives in New Orleans. Website: Widerquist.com, email [email protected] .. more

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Karl Widerquist is an American political philosopher and economist at Georgetown University on its campus in Qatar. He is best known as an advocate of basic income, but is also an interdisciplinary academic writer who has published in journals in fields as diverse as economics, politics, philosophy, and anthropology. He is a consistent critic of propertarianism, right-libertarianism, social contract theory, and the belief that modern societies fulfill the Lockean proviso. .. more

Political science 38%
Economics 35%
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karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 8h
Two pro-democracy, pop-up protests in two New Orleans neighborhoods today (Wed., Dec. 3, 2025):
- 4:30-5pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
- 5:00-5:20pm, Napoleon & Magazine

Reposted by Karl Widerquist

richdef.bsky.social
Richard @richdef.bsky.social · 15h
@mrjamesob.bsky.social We should be talking about Universal Basic Income. This country is a wealthy nation. It can afford to do this. It also puts the power back into the hands of its citizens. There are very few downsides. Mostly the super wealthy whose control on resources will diminish.

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 1d
Today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 2d
Today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 2d
Can you put me in touch? My email address is [email protected]

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 3d
Wednesday:
- 5:00-5:20pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
Thursday: Happy Thanksgiving
Saturday:
- 11:30am-noon, N. Rampart and St. Ann St
- 12:30-12:50pm, Napoleon & Magazine
Sunday:
- 2:30-3pm, N. Rampart and St. Ann St

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 3d
Stand up for Democracy, pop-up protests, New Orleans, Nov. 24-30, 2025

Monday:
- 5:00-5:20pm, St. Charles Ave. & 7th St.
Tuesday:
- 4-4:30pm, Carrollton & Zimpel
...

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 4d
Two protests in New Orleans today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 4d
I don't speculate on whether any policy will make people better people. It's possible, but I don't pin my hopes on it. I look more at the direct effects, which are enough to be a reason to introduce UBI

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 7d
Today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 8d
Today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 9d
...
Saturday:
- 11:30am-noon, N. Rampart and St. Ann St
- 12:30-12:50pm, Napoleon & Magazine
Sunday:
- 2:30-3pm, N. Rampart and St. Ann St

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 9d
Correction:

Stand up for Democracy, pop-up protests, New Orleans, Nov. 24-30, 2025

Monday:
- 5:00-5:20pm, St. Charles Ave. & 7th St.
Tuesday:
- 4-4:30pm, Carrollton & Zimpel
Wednesday:
- 4:30-5pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
...

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 9d
Saturday:
- 11:30am-noon, N. Rampart and St. Ann St
- 12:30-12:50pm, Napoleon & Magazine
Sunday:
- 2:30-3pm, N. Rampart and St. Ann St

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 9d
Stand up for Democracy, pop-up protests, New Orleans, Nov. 24-30, 2025

Monday:
- 5:00-5:20pm, St. Charles Ave. & 7th St.
Tuesday:
- 4-4:30pm, Carrollton & Zimpel
Wednesday:
- 5:00-5:20pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
...

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 11d
New pro-democracy pop-up protest Sunday 2:30-3pm on Rampart and St. Ann Street, New Orleans.

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 11d
I hate how "breakfast" came to mean morning meal with traditional dishes of the morning because some stupid fucking people only break their fasts in the morning. It's called "break fast" only when you're breaking your fast, got damn it.

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 11d
Oldest know surviving piece of fiction, and it has a more mature view of death than lots of modern, serious literature.

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 11d
That's why, if I had to choose a belief system, I'd call it, Gilgamesh-ism. The message of Gilgamesh is that one reaches maturity when one finally stops trying to get a god to intercede for him, accepts this fact, and decides to do as much good as they can in the limited lifetime we have...

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 11d
Everybody gets old and dies.
That's the most basic fact of human existence.
The denial of that fact is what I most dislike about (most) religions.
...

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 13d
I think it's called "retirement"

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 14d
THURSDAY: Pro-democracy protests morning and evening at City Park, New Orleans:
- Morning: 7:30-8:30am, City Park & Esplanade
- Evening: 4:15pm-whenever City Park & Esplanade

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 14d
Possibly the BIGist UBI news of my lifetime so far: "The Marshall Islands Just Quietly Implemented the First National Universal Basic Income (UBI)." Scott Santens, Nov 19, 2025
The Marshall Islands Just Quietly Implemented the First National Universal Basic Income (UBI)
How the Marshall Islands built the first nationwide universal basic income, funded by a US-capitalized Compact Trust Fund, and what it means for UBI everywhere.
scottsantens.substack.com

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 14d
Possibly the BIGist UBI news of my lifetime so far: "The Marshall Islands Just Quietly Implemented the First National Universal Basic Income (UBI)." Scott Santens, Nov 19, 2025
The Marshall Islands Just Quietly Implemented the First National Universal Basic Income (UBI)
How the Marshall Islands built the first nationwide universal basic income, funded by a US-capitalized Compact Trust Fund, and what it means for UBI everywhere.
scottsantens.substack.com

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 14d
TODAY: Stand up for Democracy, two pop-up protests in two New Orleans neighborhoods:
- 4:30-5:00pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
- 5:00-5:20pm, Napoleon & Magazine

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 14d
TODAY: Stand up for Democracy, two pop-up protests in two New Orleans neighborhoods:
- 4:30-5:00pm, Elysian Fields & St. Claude
- 5:00-5:20pm, Napoleon & Magazine

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 15d
Today

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 16d
I give them in-class essays with lockdown-browser

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 16d
Am I missing something?

karlwiderquist.bsky.social
Karl Widerquist @karlwiderquist.bsky.social · 16d
Yeah, sure, we killed a lot of people, but when you look at our record of how well it worked out for everybody in all those cases, why would anyone oppose killing more people now?