Seth D. Michaels
@sethdmichaels.bsky.social
Bert of the Intellect, Ernie of the Will
DC based, comms at @ucs.org (all opinions mine), ambivalently Online, generally polite, still People Magazine's Seth D-est Man Alive. please don't argue in my notifications
DC based, comms at @ucs.org (all opinions mine), ambivalently Online, generally polite, still People Magazine's Seth D-est Man Alive. please don't argue in my notifications
Pinned
It’s bad that Trump thinks he got elected Boss of America and the whole government is just his staff, but it’s much worse that a majority of the Supreme Court and the leaders of both chambers of Congress agree
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
1/ "The Trump administration must immediately cease all violent, unlawful ICE and Border Patrol actions. We call on Congress to speak up and hold this administration accountable, including calling for a transparent, credible, and just investigation of the violence and deaths in MN and elsewhere."
Violence and Gaslighting: This is What Authoritarianism Looks Like. We Must Resist.
Trump administration has escalated its violent behavior. A U.S. citizen was killed by federal law enforcement agents while exercising his constitutional right to free speech and peaceful assembly. Sta...
www.ucs.org
January 26, 2026 at 8:11 PM
1/ "The Trump administration must immediately cease all violent, unlawful ICE and Border Patrol actions. We call on Congress to speak up and hold this administration accountable, including calling for a transparent, credible, and just investigation of the violence and deaths in MN and elsewhere."
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
they have no ability to back down and recalibrate AND they lack a theory of mind for their opponents
January 25, 2026 at 3:04 PM
they have no ability to back down and recalibrate AND they lack a theory of mind for their opponents
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
There's another way to look at this. ICE is doing everything the military manual tells you not to do to civilian populations because it creates insurgencies where none existed before.
January 26, 2026 at 5:12 PM
There's another way to look at this. ICE is doing everything the military manual tells you not to do to civilian populations because it creates insurgencies where none existed before.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
This is the way.
When I first got into serious organizing, I had the benefit of learning from people who had been doing it much longer than I had, and who treated me with sincerity and kindness. “Glad you finally made it!” is a much better attitude than “what fucking took you so long”
January 26, 2026 at 6:16 PM
This is the way.
was shocked when a Minnesota colleague told me today "they just moved that unit to a different neighborhood" but here he is admitting it
The federal immigration agents who were at the scene of Alex Pretti’s shooting in Minneapolis are still working, and not on administrative leave, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino tells reporters.
January 26, 2026 at 6:16 PM
was shocked when a Minnesota colleague told me today "they just moved that unit to a different neighborhood" but here he is admitting it
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
if you're a news outlet interested in "reporting the truth" wouldn't this be the ideal time to announce an update to your standards & practices that you'll no longer grant anonymity to government sources who have been proven to have lied to either your outlet or the public?
January 26, 2026 at 6:10 PM
if you're a news outlet interested in "reporting the truth" wouldn't this be the ideal time to announce an update to your standards & practices that you'll no longer grant anonymity to government sources who have been proven to have lied to either your outlet or the public?
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
man the stuff i am seeing on IG from
the most normie, i don’t really talk about politics accounts suggests something different
the most normie, i don’t really talk about politics accounts suggests something different
January 25, 2026 at 2:25 AM
man the stuff i am seeing on IG from
the most normie, i don’t really talk about politics accounts suggests something different
the most normie, i don’t really talk about politics accounts suggests something different
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
The unacceptable danger and fear that ICE is purposefully inflicting on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant communities in Minnesota and many other US cities are part of this pattern—and a hallmark of authoritarian regimes throughout history.
What Authoritarian Regimes Do
As we speak, the Trump administration is abandoning principles of democracy and dismantling the rule of law. The willful destruction of the federal science apparatus is but one harmful and onerous asp...
blog.ucs.org
January 22, 2026 at 8:16 PM
The unacceptable danger and fear that ICE is purposefully inflicting on Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant communities in Minnesota and many other US cities are part of this pattern—and a hallmark of authoritarian regimes throughout history.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
Watching the Greenland thing unfold really does feel like a psychotic break except instead of me breaking away from reality it's reality breaking away from me
January 21, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Watching the Greenland thing unfold really does feel like a psychotic break except instead of me breaking away from reality it's reality breaking away from me
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
With all our free time, @indivisible.org has been quietly working over the last several months on a total overhaul of our website. It's just better in basically every way. Hope it helps you and your local community find good ways to organize and take action! indivisible.org
Indivisible
Indivisible is a nationwide movement of millions of people working to stop the rise of authoritarianism in the United States and to demand a real democracy. We believe that politics is too important t...
indivisible.org
January 21, 2026 at 2:55 PM
With all our free time, @indivisible.org has been quietly working over the last several months on a total overhaul of our website. It's just better in basically every way. Hope it helps you and your local community find good ways to organize and take action! indivisible.org
kept myself to 20 for sanity's sake
January 21, 2026 at 2:53 PM
kept myself to 20 for sanity's sake
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
Exactly. He's saying--"I won't hit you [unless you deserve it]." It's a classic abuser's lie.
If you're only reading headlines and see "Trump Says He Won't Use Force" it will give you a misimpression of both how bellicose this speech is and how dug in he is on Greenland.
January 21, 2026 at 2:35 PM
Exactly. He's saying--"I won't hit you [unless you deserve it]." It's a classic abuser's lie.
executive jobs aren't real
The disconnect between management and employee on AI usage is big. At the same time, CEOs are reporting they aren't seeing any revenue growth from AI.
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
🤷
www.wsj.com/lifestyle/wo...
CEOs Say AI Is Making Work More Efficient. Employees Tell a Different Story.
How much time workers say the technology saves them on the job is vastly different from what executives report.
www.wsj.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:36 PM
executive jobs aren't real
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
its really incredible how many people just want to believe that this is something other than a hostile threat
"I'm not touching you! I'm not touching you! It'd be a shame if something were to happen to your country"
BREAKING: Donald Trump rules out using force to acquire Greenland - but still says he wants the "right, title and ownership" of the territory.
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that."
“We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that."
January 21, 2026 at 2:32 PM
its really incredible how many people just want to believe that this is something other than a hostile threat
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
HE IS THREATENING TO USE FORCE. DON'T SAY HE IS NOT THREATENING TO USE FORCE.
"You can say ‘yes' and we will be very appreciative. You can say ‘no' and we will remember,” adds President Trump to world leaders at Davos regarding his demand to get Greenland.
January 21, 2026 at 2:22 PM
HE IS THREATENING TO USE FORCE. DON'T SAY HE IS NOT THREATENING TO USE FORCE.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
I try to be sensitive to not proclaiming things to be new that are not new, but I’m not aware of a time when this has been the way a president talked about other countries with which we had no conflict. Certainly not in my lifetime.
For instance: "Canada lives by the benefit of the United States. Remember that, Mark, when you make your statements."
January 21, 2026 at 2:22 PM
I try to be sensitive to not proclaiming things to be new that are not new, but I’m not aware of a time when this has been the way a president talked about other countries with which we had no conflict. Certainly not in my lifetime.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
Attn news commentators: Trump saying he could use force to obtain Greenland but won’t is not Trump saying he won’t use force to obtain Greenland. It is Trump using force as a threat to obtain Greenland. That is why he mentions it.
January 21, 2026 at 2:16 PM
Attn news commentators: Trump saying he could use force to obtain Greenland but won’t is not Trump saying he won’t use force to obtain Greenland. It is Trump using force as a threat to obtain Greenland. That is why he mentions it.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
World-historical batshitness: "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength & force where we would be frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. Now everyone's saying 'oh good.' …I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland."
Trump: Greenland “is the northern frontier of the Western hemisphere. It’s our territory.”
January 21, 2026 at 2:14 PM
World-historical batshitness: "We probably won't get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength & force where we would be frankly, unstoppable. But I won't do that. Now everyone's saying 'oh good.' …I won't use force. All the United States is asking for is a place called Greenland."
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
One year into President Trump’s second term, what has it meant for science, democracy, and our future? UCS experts break down the damage, the successful resistance we’ve seen, and what’s needed in the coming year. 🧵⬇️
January 20, 2026 at 2:57 PM
One year into President Trump’s second term, what has it meant for science, democracy, and our future? UCS experts break down the damage, the successful resistance we’ve seen, and what’s needed in the coming year. 🧵⬇️
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
“He is the author of ‘Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us.’” Bet that his follow-up book will be how “No One Could Have Predicted (And I Was NOT Wrong, You Guys)”
a fascinating read, with constant mentions of "irony" and "truth is stranger than fiction" and "betrayed first principles," all coming from an author who could clearly be repeatedly terrified by a jack-in-the-box www.politico.com/news/magazin...
They Wanted a University Without Cancel Culture. Then Dissenters Were Ousted.
Inside the civil war at the anti-woke university backed by Bari Weiss.
www.politico.com
January 20, 2026 at 1:02 PM
“He is the author of ‘Poison Ivy: How Elite Colleges Divide Us.’” Bet that his follow-up book will be how “No One Could Have Predicted (And I Was NOT Wrong, You Guys)”
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
This is not a healthy thing, to feel.
Nobody should have to think about a government this much. We're all being terrorized by an septuagenarian with the nuclear codes.
This is crazy.
This man is not fit for office and yet...
Nobody should have to think about a government this much. We're all being terrorized by an septuagenarian with the nuclear codes.
This is crazy.
This man is not fit for office and yet...
January 20, 2026 at 12:21 PM
This is not a healthy thing, to feel.
Nobody should have to think about a government this much. We're all being terrorized by an septuagenarian with the nuclear codes.
This is crazy.
This man is not fit for office and yet...
Nobody should have to think about a government this much. We're all being terrorized by an septuagenarian with the nuclear codes.
This is crazy.
This man is not fit for office and yet...
a fascinating read, with constant mentions of "irony" and "truth is stranger than fiction" and "betrayed first principles," all coming from an author who could clearly be repeatedly terrified by a jack-in-the-box www.politico.com/news/magazin...
They Wanted a University Without Cancel Culture. Then Dissenters Were Ousted.
Inside the civil war at the anti-woke university backed by Bari Weiss.
www.politico.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:26 PM
a fascinating read, with constant mentions of "irony" and "truth is stranger than fiction" and "betrayed first principles," all coming from an author who could clearly be repeatedly terrified by a jack-in-the-box www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
If you have money & you're thinking about how you can help win electorally in 2026, please focus your funds on backing organizers on the ground rather than campaigns/PACs.
The fantastic @movementvoter.bsky.social works non-stop to build organizing capacity that turns out new voters.
Find out more.
The fantastic @movementvoter.bsky.social works non-stop to build organizing capacity that turns out new voters.
Find out more.
MVP Briefing: The Plan to Win the Midterms | Movement Voter Project
When: 2pm ET • 1pm CT • Noon MT • 11am PT • 10am AKST. Where: Virtual Event ⸱ Zoom link shared after registration. Join Movement Voter PAC for a briefing on how we win a Democratic House and Senate th...
movement.vote
January 17, 2026 at 1:06 PM
If you have money & you're thinking about how you can help win electorally in 2026, please focus your funds on backing organizers on the ground rather than campaigns/PACs.
The fantastic @movementvoter.bsky.social works non-stop to build organizing capacity that turns out new voters.
Find out more.
The fantastic @movementvoter.bsky.social works non-stop to build organizing capacity that turns out new voters.
Find out more.
Reposted by Seth D. Michaels
Also, if you want to know why certain hidebound American Jewish institutions like ADL and AJC are facing a legitimacy crisis among younger Jews, I suspect Gaza is only half of it, and the other half is their silence on what is very clearly an ethnic cleansing attempt within our own borders.
January 16, 2026 at 11:14 PM
Also, if you want to know why certain hidebound American Jewish institutions like ADL and AJC are facing a legitimacy crisis among younger Jews, I suspect Gaza is only half of it, and the other half is their silence on what is very clearly an ethnic cleansing attempt within our own borders.