Michael Stambolis
@mstambolis.bsky.social
Sociologist. Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Toulouse - Jean Jaurès. Author of: By the Power Vested in Me (Columbia University Press, 2025). I study how experts participate in controversial political debates.
Pinned
Michael Stambolis
@mstambolis.bsky.social
· May 14
By the Power Vested in Me | Columbia University Press
In both the United States and France, each side of the legal battle over same-sex marriage and parenthood relied heavily on experts. Despite the similarity o... | CUP
tinyurl.com
By the Power Vested in Me is here!
Through the story of the fight over same-sex marriage in the United States and France, this book sheds new light on the contested power of experts to influence high-stakes democratic debates.
Get your copy wherever books are sold or here: tinyurl.com/37t88xme
1/
Through the story of the fight over same-sex marriage in the United States and France, this book sheds new light on the contested power of experts to influence high-stakes democratic debates.
Get your copy wherever books are sold or here: tinyurl.com/37t88xme
1/
I'm in Southern California and have gotten several emails from people here that start with "I hope you're doing well despite this weather." It's raining.
February 18, 2026 at 4:57 AM
I'm in Southern California and have gotten several emails from people here that start with "I hope you're doing well despite this weather." It's raining.
10 years after defending my dissertation, I'm back home at UCLA to talk about my book!
February 18, 2026 at 4:49 AM
10 years after defending my dissertation, I'm back home at UCLA to talk about my book!
Los Angeles 2026. A delivery robot struggles to navigate the tiny sidewalk next to a crumbling building as expensive cars race off the 405 past the tents of destitute people forced to live under the freeway bridge. #notscifi
February 18, 2026 at 4:41 AM
Los Angeles 2026. A delivery robot struggles to navigate the tiny sidewalk next to a crumbling building as expensive cars race off the 405 past the tents of destitute people forced to live under the freeway bridge. #notscifi
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
gotta do investigations into DHS “waste, fraud and abuse” as pretext for killing the agency
The interior of Kristi Noem’s new billionaire-class luxury jet is complete with two bidets and a wet bar with a wine chiller. It will be purchased on our dime from the slush fund Congress approved in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
open.substack.com/pub/newsnotn...
open.substack.com/pub/newsnotn...
Let Them Fly First Class: Kristi Noem’s DHS Luxury Jet Scandal
Inside Noem's flying palace. Plus: Pentagon demands obedient, deadly AI. The race to deploy untested nuclear reactors. Lawmakers move to rein in presidential pardons. And remembering Robert Duvall.
open.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 2:53 AM
gotta do investigations into DHS “waste, fraud and abuse” as pretext for killing the agency
I loved the movie Whiplash. I trauma watched it. Having attended a competitive performing arts high school, I could fully relate to the character. I left the movie theater trying to catch my breath and needing to unclench my jaw.
I appreciate the Whiplash hatred here. I hated that movie. Yes, the editing was good. But if everyone is going to be aggressively unlikable, the plot needs to at least be interesting.
late night movie posting: just rewatched whiplash and it’s even worse than I remembered 10 years ago. The whole movie is shot like an episode of The Bear but at least with the Bear you can tell the creators love food while after watching this I’m not sure that chazelle actually likes music
February 17, 2026 at 5:43 AM
I loved the movie Whiplash. I trauma watched it. Having attended a competitive performing arts high school, I could fully relate to the character. I left the movie theater trying to catch my breath and needing to unclench my jaw.
The plumber decided to show up just as I was getting out of the shower.
February 17, 2026 at 5:14 AM
The plumber decided to show up just as I was getting out of the shower.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
"When Musk & Hegseth argue that a racially diverse nation is inherently weak, they're not returning us to some long-established American tradition from which we've recently strayed. They are, instead, parroting the exact same propaganda that Nazi Germany promoted against America during WW II."
Elon's racist little post made me mad enough to write about it at CAMPAIGN TRAILS.
Diversity Is Our Strength
This morning, Elon Musk – the world's richest man and a key ally to the president of the United States – posted the content below to the white nationalist chat room and CSAM emporium he owns
There's ...
campaign-trails.ghost.io
February 15, 2026 at 9:06 PM
"When Musk & Hegseth argue that a racially diverse nation is inherently weak, they're not returning us to some long-established American tradition from which we've recently strayed. They are, instead, parroting the exact same propaganda that Nazi Germany promoted against America during WW II."
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Join us tonight at 7pmET for a mass call to get ICE out of schools. The webinar is led by the AAUP, the AFT, the Sunrise Movement, and others. You’ll leave with tools to map your university’s ties, link up with allies & run a campaign that forces decision-makers to drop ICE’s billionaire partners.
February 15, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Join us tonight at 7pmET for a mass call to get ICE out of schools. The webinar is led by the AAUP, the AFT, the Sunrise Movement, and others. You’ll leave with tools to map your university’s ties, link up with allies & run a campaign that forces decision-makers to drop ICE’s billionaire partners.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
“The plan's $38 billion budget is more than the total annual spending for 22 states, according to state budget data."
Imagine if even a fraction of what this administration plans to spend on cages went toward housing people.
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion converting warehouses into detention centers, according to planning documents, more than the annual budgets of 22 states.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 15, 2026 at 2:45 PM
“The plan's $38 billion budget is more than the total annual spending for 22 states, according to state budget data."
Keeping this as a reminder to myself.
"Trump is dangerous, but he is not omnipotent.
It’s essential to have a clear-eyed view of the system’s weak points—but also the relatively strong bulwarks, so as not to give more credence to Trump’s absurdities than they deserve. "
"Trump is dangerous, but he is not omnipotent.
It’s essential to have a clear-eyed view of the system’s weak points—but also the relatively strong bulwarks, so as not to give more credence to Trump’s absurdities than they deserve. "
At @theunpopulist.net, @andycraig.bsky.social takes a comprehensive look at Trump's efforts at election subversion and shows why he can't succeed. What he can do is delegitimze an adverse outcome and that is dangerous enough: open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...
Worry, Don't Panic, Over Trump's Efforts to Subvert the Elections
America's system is quite foolproof but he can still try to delegitimize it
open.substack.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Keeping this as a reminder to myself.
"Trump is dangerous, but he is not omnipotent.
It’s essential to have a clear-eyed view of the system’s weak points—but also the relatively strong bulwarks, so as not to give more credence to Trump’s absurdities than they deserve. "
"Trump is dangerous, but he is not omnipotent.
It’s essential to have a clear-eyed view of the system’s weak points—but also the relatively strong bulwarks, so as not to give more credence to Trump’s absurdities than they deserve. "
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
This is so deeply fucked. I wish these people would just admit they hate the idea of democracy and get it over with. This kayfabe bullshit is just silly at this point.
North Carolina lawmakers have voted to remove all college campus voting sites. Specifically at the largest HBCU in the US NC A&T. They now have to walk 30 minutes to their nearest polling place. Students are protesting this - pls share and support.
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
www.tiktok.com/t/ZThx29BJ9/
Even without an on-campus voting site, NCAT students still marched to the polls. 💙💛 Students at North Carolina A&T showed that barriers won’t stop their voices. When access isn’t easy, they organize. ...
TikTok video by HBCU Student Action Alliance
www.tiktok.com
February 15, 2026 at 3:48 AM
This is so deeply fucked. I wish these people would just admit they hate the idea of democracy and get it over with. This kayfabe bullshit is just silly at this point.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Thanks to the American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org for their responsible statement in response to the harmful decision of the USA to rescind the EPA endangerment finding. www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-am...
A Response to the Decision to Rescind EPA's 2009 Endangerment Finding
The AMS is a global community committed to advancing weather, water, and climate science and service.
www.ametsoc.org
February 14, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Thanks to the American Meteorological Society @ametsoc.org for their responsible statement in response to the harmful decision of the USA to rescind the EPA endangerment finding. www.ametsoc.org/ams/about-am...
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
no foreign foe has ever dreamed of being able to sack and pillaging this country the way Trump admin and its congressional and scotus enablers do every day.
A leading American research lab is slated to lose its critical supercomputing facility, according to a letter released by the National Science Foundation.https://cnn.it/3MoF7zU
February 14, 2026 at 3:43 AM
no foreign foe has ever dreamed of being able to sack and pillaging this country the way Trump admin and its congressional and scotus enablers do every day.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Il y a en France une droite chrétienne, elle n'est pas moins réactionnaire et dangereuse que la droite chrétienne américaine, qui constitue le principal soutien électoral et intellectuel du trumpisme. La droite chrétienne française a peu ou prou le même agenda politique que sa consoeur américaine.
Rappel : Retailleau c’est ça, et ça devrait être placardé partout dès qu’on parle de lui. (Source: Society.)
February 13, 2026 at 4:28 PM
Il y a en France une droite chrétienne, elle n'est pas moins réactionnaire et dangereuse que la droite chrétienne américaine, qui constitue le principal soutien électoral et intellectuel du trumpisme. La droite chrétienne française a peu ou prou le même agenda politique que sa consoeur américaine.
Mao says hello.
February 12, 2026 at 10:23 PM
Mao says hello.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Wild things happening in the Texas Republican primaries.
February 12, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Wild things happening in the Texas Republican primaries.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
This is a travesty. African and African Diaspora Studies at UT Austin has been one of the best programs in the country. And for historical context, this is explicitly about reversing the gains of student movements in the 60s and 70s.
www.statesman.com/news/educati...
www.statesman.com/news/educati...
UT to consolidate gender and ethnic studies programs into one new department
Affected departments include those that focus on African and African Diaspora Studies, Mexican American Studies, Women and Gender Studies and American Studies.
www.statesman.com
February 12, 2026 at 6:26 PM
This is a travesty. African and African Diaspora Studies at UT Austin has been one of the best programs in the country. And for historical context, this is explicitly about reversing the gains of student movements in the 60s and 70s.
www.statesman.com/news/educati...
www.statesman.com/news/educati...
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Avec @alubnf.bsky.social nous avons lutté longuement pour que des moyens soient réaffectés au rez de jardin (espace recherche).
L’ouverture d’un musée (somme toute à l’opportunité très discutable) a plombé l’accueil pour la consultation directe.
Maintenant, plus de lumière. Triste allégorie.
L’ouverture d’un musée (somme toute à l’opportunité très discutable) a plombé l’accueil pour la consultation directe.
Maintenant, plus de lumière. Triste allégorie.
Le rez-de jardin de la BNF (@labnf.bsky.social) s'éteint, littéralement, en silence. Les places en rouge sur ce schéma ne sont plus éclairées et l'on nous apprend que les ampoules, devenues obsolètes, ne peuvent être remplacées. "Democracy Dies in Darkness", comme on le sait au Washington Post.
February 12, 2026 at 7:44 AM
Avec @alubnf.bsky.social nous avons lutté longuement pour que des moyens soient réaffectés au rez de jardin (espace recherche).
L’ouverture d’un musée (somme toute à l’opportunité très discutable) a plombé l’accueil pour la consultation directe.
Maintenant, plus de lumière. Triste allégorie.
L’ouverture d’un musée (somme toute à l’opportunité très discutable) a plombé l’accueil pour la consultation directe.
Maintenant, plus de lumière. Triste allégorie.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
Direct parallel to denialism around fascism. Too many tell themselves “we’re winning”—as if acknowledging scale of fascism’s assault means submitting to it, or as if democracy is a pep rally. It’s a struggle, we’re not winning, but we can, so let’s fight harder—against the anti-human in govt & tech.
I understand why people are exhausted by AI hype, and why those of us squarely in the corner of "human dignity uber alles" see AI doomerism as self-serving hype, but I *really* think people on the left broadly need to start thinking seriously about the possibiltiy of the hype being...true.
February 11, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Direct parallel to denialism around fascism. Too many tell themselves “we’re winning”—as if acknowledging scale of fascism’s assault means submitting to it, or as if democracy is a pep rally. It’s a struggle, we’re not winning, but we can, so let’s fight harder—against the anti-human in govt & tech.
Ce soir ce sera un vin communautariste wokiste! Black owned. Women owned.
February 11, 2026 at 10:21 PM
Ce soir ce sera un vin communautariste wokiste! Black owned. Women owned.
Baltimore keeeping it real. End white Christian nationalism.
February 11, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Baltimore keeeping it real. End white Christian nationalism.
I'm sorry, what? Meco the Wizard of Oz?
February 10, 2026 at 4:22 PM
I'm sorry, what? Meco the Wizard of Oz?
One of the only things I miss about the US is going out to breakfast.
February 10, 2026 at 2:42 PM
One of the only things I miss about the US is going out to breakfast.
Reposted by Michael Stambolis
1. It most definitely does not "break their hearts" to say
2. How many different ways can billionaire pro-natalist freaks make clear that they plan to subjugate women and girls by any means necessary?
2. How many different ways can billionaire pro-natalist freaks make clear that they plan to subjugate women and girls by any means necessary?
February 4, 2026 at 7:07 PM
1. It most definitely does not "break their hearts" to say
2. How many different ways can billionaire pro-natalist freaks make clear that they plan to subjugate women and girls by any means necessary?
2. How many different ways can billionaire pro-natalist freaks make clear that they plan to subjugate women and girls by any means necessary?
On this Super Bowl evening, I'm reminded of how Janet Jackson's career was destroyed by the same men who accuse the left of cancel culture.
February 9, 2026 at 1:29 AM
On this Super Bowl evening, I'm reminded of how Janet Jackson's career was destroyed by the same men who accuse the left of cancel culture.