Sky Marchini
@sky.skymarchini.net
economist, 🇨🇳, policy research. this is for display purposes only. 🧸 contact: robertmarchini1993 at gmail. 🏳️🌈 they/them. new jersey resident. https://skymarchini.net/
Pinned
Reposted by Sky Marchini
One must simply abjure and abhor hoe-scaring behavior if one is to achieve success in war or politics—Sun Tzu
February 3, 2026 at 10:03 PM
One must simply abjure and abhor hoe-scaring behavior if one is to achieve success in war or politics—Sun Tzu
Reposted by Sky Marchini
not sure how to feel about this. requesting privacy.
James Carville Puts His Bet on JB Pritzker
"James Carville said he favors Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) as the party’s nominee for president in the 2028 election," The Hill reports. Said Carville: "If I had to say one guy — I really
politicalwire.com
February 3, 2026 at 7:52 PM
not sure how to feel about this. requesting privacy.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
once again these things boil down to “is your group a bohemian cultural identity” or “is your group actually trying to do things?” and the key tell is whether your activity centers on policing of in-group behavior or whether it centers on, again, tangible goals
February 3, 2026 at 6:50 PM
once again these things boil down to “is your group a bohemian cultural identity” or “is your group actually trying to do things?” and the key tell is whether your activity centers on policing of in-group behavior or whether it centers on, again, tangible goals
Reposted by Sky Marchini
i think about this distinction between illumination and confession all the time. there are many artists who we thought were doing the former but clearly in retro were doing the latter.
off the top of my head:
- david foster wallace
- cormac mccarthy
- woody allen
- louis ck
- polanski
- kanye
off the top of my head:
- david foster wallace
- cormac mccarthy
- woody allen
- louis ck
- polanski
- kanye
Finding out that some people's artistic output was not illumination but confession--finding that out as a person is hard enough. As a critic? Whew. Half the reason I wrote Burn It Down is so we can try to unpack how the systems cover for not just normal stress but a host of toxic & horrific patterns
February 3, 2026 at 6:26 PM
i think about this distinction between illumination and confession all the time. there are many artists who we thought were doing the former but clearly in retro were doing the latter.
off the top of my head:
- david foster wallace
- cormac mccarthy
- woody allen
- louis ck
- polanski
- kanye
off the top of my head:
- david foster wallace
- cormac mccarthy
- woody allen
- louis ck
- polanski
- kanye
My mother’s father & my father (both US army combat vets), taught me this version (among many other things about guns):
1. It’s always loaded.
2. Finger off the trigger till ready to shoot.
3. Do not point the gun at anything you are not comfortable with killing.
4. Know what’s behind your target
1. It’s always loaded.
2. Finger off the trigger till ready to shoot.
3. Do not point the gun at anything you are not comfortable with killing.
4. Know what’s behind your target
Three rules in FBI firearm training:
1. Always point your weapon downrange
2. Do not point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot
3. Don’t put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot
Guns are not for threatening compliance for unarmed people doing things you don’t like
1. Always point your weapon downrange
2. Do not point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot
3. Don’t put your finger on the trigger unless you intend to shoot
Guns are not for threatening compliance for unarmed people doing things you don’t like
happening this morning in Minneapolis -- ICE agents drawing guns on observers. I reiterate again that it is only a matter of time before DHS kills more innocent people in Minnesota. Congress needs to shut this shit down right now.
February 3, 2026 at 6:04 PM
My mother’s father & my father (both US army combat vets), taught me this version (among many other things about guns):
1. It’s always loaded.
2. Finger off the trigger till ready to shoot.
3. Do not point the gun at anything you are not comfortable with killing.
4. Know what’s behind your target
1. It’s always loaded.
2. Finger off the trigger till ready to shoot.
3. Do not point the gun at anything you are not comfortable with killing.
4. Know what’s behind your target
Reposted by Sky Marchini
BERNIE SANDERS: Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism
SANDERS: Nah. Uh uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism
BHATTACHARYA: I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism
SANDERS: Nah. Uh uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism
February 3, 2026 at 3:59 PM
BERNIE SANDERS: Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism
SANDERS: Nah. Uh uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism
BHATTACHARYA: I do not believe that the measles vaccine causes autism
SANDERS: Nah. Uh uh. I didn't ask measles. Do vaccines cause autism?
BHATTACHARYA: I have not seen a study that suggests any single vaccine causes autism
The fundamental thrust of totalitarianism is that the government dictates terms of how every aspect of every organization, as well as your own life, operates. The Soviet Union, the Nazis, the modern PRC, all have commissars in every org to ensure they follow the government political line.
Breaking news: The Pentagon issued a warning to Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts, saying the organization risks losing its long-standing partnership with the U.S. military unless it rapidly implements “core value reforms.”
Pentagon warns Scouts to restore ‘core values’ or lose military support
The relationship dates back decades, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has criticized the organization for allowing girls to join and changing its name from Boy Scouts.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 3, 2026 at 5:54 PM
The fundamental thrust of totalitarianism is that the government dictates terms of how every aspect of every organization, as well as your own life, operates. The Soviet Union, the Nazis, the modern PRC, all have commissars in every org to ensure they follow the government political line.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
YES! YES!
Musk's X office in France raided by Paris prosecutor
The Paris prosecutor says its cyber-crime unit is conducting a search of X's offices.
www.bbc.com
February 3, 2026 at 10:13 AM
YES! YES!
Reposted by Sky Marchini
Fascist Russia used around 60 missiles in last night’s attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. It’s clear the “energy truce” was a sham to give Moscow time to produce enough weapons for a big attack. It’s used up its stocks and is using weapons almost as soon as they’re made.
For 7 hours, Russians targeted cities and regions all over Ukraine with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, targeting homes, infrastructure, commercial buildings, there are casualties.
Rescue efforts continue all over the country.
Rescue efforts continue all over the country.
February 3, 2026 at 7:29 AM
Fascist Russia used around 60 missiles in last night’s attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. It’s clear the “energy truce” was a sham to give Moscow time to produce enough weapons for a big attack. It’s used up its stocks and is using weapons almost as soon as they’re made.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
this is what really killed the place even before the nazis fully took over
the Venn diagram of “people willing to pay for Twitter so their replies are boosted” and “people capable of making funny comments” is just two completely separate circles side by side
the Venn diagram of “people willing to pay for Twitter so their replies are boosted” and “people capable of making funny comments” is just two completely separate circles side by side
twitter must be dead dead cause someone posted a rat coin purse that would have 2019 twitter losing its collective mind and most of the top comments are bots saying random words or people not nearly amped enough about the rat coin purse
February 3, 2026 at 6:11 AM
this is what really killed the place even before the nazis fully took over
the Venn diagram of “people willing to pay for Twitter so their replies are boosted” and “people capable of making funny comments” is just two completely separate circles side by side
the Venn diagram of “people willing to pay for Twitter so their replies are boosted” and “people capable of making funny comments” is just two completely separate circles side by side
Tooze: "Presumably, the PLA is a super smart organization full of highly wired Chinese technocrats who’ve been thinking very hard about all of these problems."
Chotiner: "Presumably."
Chotiner: "Presumably."
"Presumably, the PLA is a super smart organization full of highly wired Chinese technocrats who’ve been thinking very hard about all of these problems."
yeah sometimes you can, uh, really tell that Tooze isn't a China expert.
yeah sometimes you can, uh, really tell that Tooze isn't a China expert.
February 3, 2026 at 5:15 AM
Tooze: "Presumably, the PLA is a super smart organization full of highly wired Chinese technocrats who’ve been thinking very hard about all of these problems."
Chotiner: "Presumably."
Chotiner: "Presumably."
"let's also reactivate the twitter/ecks account and- ahh. that was a mistake."
February 3, 2026 at 3:58 AM
"let's also reactivate the twitter/ecks account and- ahh. that was a mistake."
Yeah you know what fuck this place
January 5, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Yeah you know what fuck this place
Reposted by Sky Marchini
I think the AI angle of this is obscurant. It doesn’t matter that grok is “an AI” whatever you take that to mean. Suppose X hired a team of guys to photoshop the clothes off of women and children whenever anyone asks. That’s functionally identical what happening here. It’s not complicated.
A functional country would shut Grok down permanently. Like, immediately. Right now. Last week. Whatever. Just flip the switch. Obviously.
January 4, 2026 at 11:25 PM
I think the AI angle of this is obscurant. It doesn’t matter that grok is “an AI” whatever you take that to mean. Suppose X hired a team of guys to photoshop the clothes off of women and children whenever anyone asks. That’s functionally identical what happening here. It’s not complicated.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
At one point you had to put serious work into issuing a death threat. Find someone’s address, write an anonymous letter, walk to a mail box. Do you know how insane you’d have to be to follow through?
Now? Well.
Now? Well.
fact check: I have gotten nonstop death threats all day
January 5, 2026 at 2:12 AM
At one point you had to put serious work into issuing a death threat. Find someone’s address, write an anonymous letter, walk to a mail box. Do you know how insane you’d have to be to follow through?
Now? Well.
Now? Well.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
they’re rebranding wartime rape
January 5, 2026 at 2:11 AM
they’re rebranding wartime rape
Reposted by Sky Marchini
the number of people who can't clock bad AI-generated video footage as such really makes me more sympathetic to the people who fell for the Cottingsley fairies. Our eye for the real in video or photo footage isn't natural, it's a learned skill.
January 5, 2026 at 2:09 AM
the number of people who can't clock bad AI-generated video footage as such really makes me more sympathetic to the people who fell for the Cottingsley fairies. Our eye for the real in video or photo footage isn't natural, it's a learned skill.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
It’s useful to think of the Internet as a medium where consequences for anti-social behavior go to die, which partly explains why our politics got so much worse over the last 30 years.
I have neither thrown nor received a real punch in my life but I kind of think the root sin of the social internet is letting people just say and do things that in the real world would get the shit kicked out of them
January 5, 2026 at 1:50 AM
It’s useful to think of the Internet as a medium where consequences for anti-social behavior go to die, which partly explains why our politics got so much worse over the last 30 years.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
a lot of problems wouldn't exist if we had a congress with even an ounce of self interest
Honestly insane they didn't brief the gang of eight until it was underway
January 4, 2026 at 10:47 PM
Right.
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
If you want a good explanation of why the American system of government worked well enough for 200 years and then suddenly stopped, it's because Republicans in Congress suddenly started letting their partisan interests COMPLETELY override their institutional interests
Reposted by Sky Marchini
I’ll take this a step further: I don’t trust people who don’t hate Trump and the current GOP.
it's good to base your politics on compassion for the oppressed but it's also ok to have a little hate in your heart, as a treat.
January 5, 2026 at 2:07 AM
I’ll take this a step further: I don’t trust people who don’t hate Trump and the current GOP.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
when baby goes down for her nap right at halftime
January 4, 2026 at 3:54 PM
when baby goes down for her nap right at halftime
Reposted by Sky Marchini
Since TANF was converted to block grants, only 22% of funding goes to cash assistance to the poor. This is Welfare State 101 knowledge. But the Washington Post does not mention that because now the editorial page is a place that draws its evidence from right wing youtubers rather than researchers.
January 5, 2026 at 12:52 AM
Since TANF was converted to block grants, only 22% of funding goes to cash assistance to the poor. This is Welfare State 101 knowledge. But the Washington Post does not mention that because now the editorial page is a place that draws its evidence from right wing youtubers rather than researchers.
Reposted by Sky Marchini
I think it's actually worse than having no plan. There's like 5 competing plans floating in the air right now between the scheming vizier factions and the major Venezuelan power brokers.
January 4, 2026 at 2:58 AM
I think it's actually worse than having no plan. There's like 5 competing plans floating in the air right now between the scheming vizier factions and the major Venezuelan power brokers.