The Belligerent Optimist
@sharestuff.bsky.social
Doing democracy, policy, transparency, participation and space things. Occasionally at the same time.
Also writing scifi.
https://thebelligerentoptimist.ghost.io/
IDIC🖖
Also writing scifi.
https://thebelligerentoptimist.ghost.io/
IDIC🖖
Pinned
Hi folks. I used to do refugee support. Then I mapped social geometry and trust networks in revolutions for 5 years, was a diplomat for a bit, built a research transparency tool. Now I lead projects in democratic sustainability, disinfo response for local gov & citizen space policy. #Introduction
American kids will be copping the German experience of association as a repercussion for a century. And people will forever ask “why didn’t they do anything?”
January 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM
American kids will be copping the German experience of association as a repercussion for a century. And people will forever ask “why didn’t they do anything?”
Trump won’t be judged like Hitler. And Republicans won’t be judged like Nazis. History will pick them apart as unique precisely because of their significance. But ordinary Americans on the other hand, will be judged like the Germans and treated with far less nuance.
January 11, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Trump won’t be judged like Hitler. And Republicans won’t be judged like Nazis. History will pick them apart as unique precisely because of their significance. But ordinary Americans on the other hand, will be judged like the Germans and treated with far less nuance.
This song is etched into my memory from childhood. It’s always been relevant. And it sadly will continue to be for some time yet.
Patriot Game (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY - March 17, 1963)
YouTube video by The Clancy Brothers - Topic
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 6:59 AM
This song is etched into my memory from childhood. It’s always been relevant. And it sadly will continue to be for some time yet.
The internet sucks. Time for a reboot. May I suggest…
Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net
Compu-Global-Hyper-Mega-Net is Homer's Internet company from the episode "Das Bus". The company's headquarters is the dining room of 742 Evergreen Terrace. It is never made clear what the company sell...
simpsons.fandom.com
December 16, 2025 at 6:49 AM
The internet sucks. Time for a reboot. May I suggest…
All the coolest people were in Cairo
November 5, 2025 at 6:57 AM
All the coolest people were in Cairo
I fully support a Kirk Remembrance Day.
Wait I’m just being told… I’m sorry what’s that?
Who?
Wait I’m just being told… I’m sorry what’s that?
Who?
September 20, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I fully support a Kirk Remembrance Day.
Wait I’m just being told… I’m sorry what’s that?
Who?
Wait I’m just being told… I’m sorry what’s that?
Who?
I would, however, add a note of hope. We're all familiar with the butterfly effect. How small, seemingly insignificant things can ripple outwards to create large-scale change. Well, that applies to everything we do. It might help to keep in mind. Every little thing matters.
September 19, 2025 at 1:56 PM
I would, however, add a note of hope. We're all familiar with the butterfly effect. How small, seemingly insignificant things can ripple outwards to create large-scale change. Well, that applies to everything we do. It might help to keep in mind. Every little thing matters.
I'm not over the moon that I turned out right about all this 8 months before the orange dickhead won his first election. But I stand by the analogy.
September 19, 2025 at 1:55 PM
I'm not over the moon that I turned out right about all this 8 months before the orange dickhead won his first election. But I stand by the analogy.
Hope is punk now.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
September 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Hope is punk now.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
And being the eternal belligerent optimist I am, I guess that makes me cool.
It took a while, but you were right all along Mum.
Age turns music from a parade of dreams to a procession of memories.
September 9, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Age turns music from a parade of dreams to a procession of memories.
This (what the emperor said), but unironically.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
The 'Do Nothing' Democracy (and what to do about it)
Democracy has stalled. It lacks vision. It's consumed by feckless conflict. And it's starting to believe the bullshit authoritarians say about it. But we can fix it. We have the technology.
thebelligerentoptimist.ghost.io
September 9, 2025 at 11:38 AM
This (what the emperor said), but unironically.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
I’m sick of folks buying into the images authoritarians have painted on the inside of our eyelids. Democracy is the engine of human freedom and one of the best damn ideas we’ve ever come up with. It just needs fixing.
Exactly. It would be good. IDGAF about celebrities. And I don’t buy that it’s supposed to be feel good either. If I wanted feel good I’d start a youtube called “Something You Love” that just spent an hour with someone as they show&tell their passion. Could be a hobby, idea, place or even person.
July 18, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Exactly. It would be good. IDGAF about celebrities. And I don’t buy that it’s supposed to be feel good either. If I wanted feel good I’d start a youtube called “Something You Love” that just spent an hour with someone as they show&tell their passion. Could be a hobby, idea, place or even person.
So here’s my pitch. A late night show, with all the trimmings, but they just pull randoms off the street and introduce/treat them like they’re ‘important’ celebrities.
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
July 18, 2025 at 6:08 AM
So here’s my pitch. A late night show, with all the trimmings, but they just pull randoms off the street and introduce/treat them like they’re ‘important’ celebrities.
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
We got a great show for you tonight. Josh is here! He waited tables for 3 years and now he’s starting an animal shelter!
I’m convinced that history will judge Millennials even more harshly than their boomer parents. We grew up so consumed with expectation and self righteousness and believing we deserved what our parents had, that we gave up the last chance to properly change things before it all turned to shit.
July 4, 2025 at 11:36 AM
I’m convinced that history will judge Millennials even more harshly than their boomer parents. We grew up so consumed with expectation and self righteousness and believing we deserved what our parents had, that we gave up the last chance to properly change things before it all turned to shit.
The Great War for Peace continues.
June 23, 2025 at 10:56 AM
The Great War for Peace continues.
Just read that @nature.com is adopting transparent peer review across the board.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
Write In Stone
Research is valuable. Make it visible.
www.writeinstone.com
June 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Just read that @nature.com is adopting transparent peer review across the board.
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
www.nature.com/articles/d41...
You folks should really look at using Stone - the free tool built explicitly for that purpose. Produces embedable records of review.
www.writeinstone.com
Happy Captain Picard Day!
June 16, 2025 at 5:36 AM
Happy Captain Picard Day!
Mass protests > Military parades
June 14, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Mass protests > Military parades
Ok cool. Now take a page from the Arab Spring and do the same thing every week.
Every. Week.
Every. Week.
June 14, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Ok cool. Now take a page from the Arab Spring and do the same thing every week.
Every. Week.
Every. Week.
“…from a kingdom of gold, to one of rust and iron…”
- Cassius Dio
- Cassius Dio
June 14, 2025 at 3:39 PM
“…from a kingdom of gold, to one of rust and iron…”
- Cassius Dio
- Cassius Dio
League of Nations ❌
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
June 13, 2025 at 10:38 AM
League of Nations ❌
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
United Nations ❌
________________ ❔
United Federation of Planets ✅
After gen Alpha and Beta get the ball rolling, gen Stable Release will bring it home and save us all.
June 12, 2025 at 6:30 PM
After gen Alpha and Beta get the ball rolling, gen Stable Release will bring it home and save us all.
Good news everyone!
Depressed about the erosion of civil rights, the collapse of democratic institutions, the rise of authoritarianism and the fecklessness of liberal society in the face of unspeakable human suffering?
Apparently the cure is cardio.
Convenient.
Depressed about the erosion of civil rights, the collapse of democratic institutions, the rise of authoritarianism and the fecklessness of liberal society in the face of unspeakable human suffering?
Apparently the cure is cardio.
Convenient.
Functional brain network correlates of cardiorespiratory fitness and moderation by depression symptoms
Cardiorespiratory fitness may protect against or alleviate depression through neuroplastic mechanisms within disrupted brain networks underlying cognitive and affective symptoms. There is a scarcity o...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
June 12, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Good news everyone!
Depressed about the erosion of civil rights, the collapse of democratic institutions, the rise of authoritarianism and the fecklessness of liberal society in the face of unspeakable human suffering?
Apparently the cure is cardio.
Convenient.
Depressed about the erosion of civil rights, the collapse of democratic institutions, the rise of authoritarianism and the fecklessness of liberal society in the face of unspeakable human suffering?
Apparently the cure is cardio.
Convenient.
Easy to be right without a timescale, but it does feel more likely all the time. Trying my best to see other routes out of this sort of deep polarisation, inequity and failure but it’s tough. I hope someone can. As unfortunately it’s our inability to imagine other ways that makes it self fulfilling.
June 9, 2025 at 6:45 AM
Easy to be right without a timescale, but it does feel more likely all the time. Trying my best to see other routes out of this sort of deep polarisation, inequity and failure but it’s tough. I hope someone can. As unfortunately it’s our inability to imagine other ways that makes it self fulfilling.