Steve Saideman
@smsaideman.bsky.social
#CivMil relations; Director, @CdsnRcds; saideman.blogspot.com; Co-host, Battle Rhythm podcast cdsn-rcds.com/battlerhythm, International Relations professor. Used to study nationalism/ethnic conflict.
Tom is half right. Hegseth is the wrong choice. But so is someone who served more than two decades. Kelly has more distance than Mattis or Austin, but civ control of the military requires truly civ mindsets.
Hegseth is a dude-bro sporting some questionable tattoos, a creation of television who’s acting as if he won "The Apprentice: The Nuclear-Weapons Season."
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Senator Mark Kelly Is in the Wrong Job
He should be secretary of defense.
www.theatlantic.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Tom is half right. Hegseth is the wrong choice. But so is someone who served more than two decades. Kelly has more distance than Mattis or Austin, but civ control of the military requires truly civ mindsets.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
A democracy where a coordinated effort by national leaders of one party to subvert an election outcome does not lead to any real consequences is a democracy unlikely to last long
Judge dismisses Georgia criminal case against Donald Trump
Judge dismisses Georgia criminal case against Donald Trump
It was the last remaining prosecution he faced over his efforts to subvert the 2020 election.
dlvr.it
November 26, 2025 at 4:35 PM
A democracy where a coordinated effort by national leaders of one party to subvert an election outcome does not lead to any real consequences is a democracy unlikely to last long
Massive deportation always required deporting ordinary immigrants, documented and undocumented, as, yes, immigrants commit less crime than citizens.
Too bad the media failed to report on the most important policy promise.
Central to Project 2025 and to the RNC.
Too bad the media failed to report on the most important policy promise.
Central to Project 2025 and to the RNC.
This is the scandal. Trump isn’t targeting dangerous people. He’s targeting peaceful immigrants. Almost exclusively.
November 26, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Massive deportation always required deporting ordinary immigrants, documented and undocumented, as, yes, immigrants commit less crime than citizens.
Too bad the media failed to report on the most important policy promise.
Central to Project 2025 and to the RNC.
Too bad the media failed to report on the most important policy promise.
Central to Project 2025 and to the RNC.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
Even God Is Worried About ChatGPT
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
www.vulture.com
November 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Pope Leo XIV told students not to use artificial intelligence for homework, saying that AI ‘won’t stand in authentic wonder before the beauty of God’s creation.’
The best proof the GOP is a cult.
There's a big divide in how Americans are thinking about vaccines:
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
♦️83% of Republicans don't want an updated COVID-19 vaccine.
🔷64% of Democrats want to get or have already received an updated vaccine.
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... 🧪
November 26, 2025 at 3:56 AM
The best proof the GOP is a cult.
Noem does not have Trump's immunity .... in the legal sense or any other sense
NEW: DOJ said tonight that it was DHS Secretary Kristi Noem who made the call to proceed with the deportation of more than 100 Venezuelan men to El Salvador, despite a judge's order seeking to block the transfer.
w/ @joshgerstein
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
w/ @joshgerstein
www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 26, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Noem does not have Trump's immunity .... in the legal sense or any other sense
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Does anyone know how much the Antifa dues are going up in 2026?
November 25, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Does anyone know how much the Antifa dues are going up in 2026?
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Makes you think
The funny thing about the invention of the wheel is the guy who invented it died penniless. It wasn't until much much later that pennies were invented
November 26, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Makes you think
Reposted by Steve Saideman
This will significantly hurt all my home states (Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah) which rely heavily on tourism to our national parks.
National parks have SO MANY people from other countries (since they get real vacations!)
And they spend a lot of money on hotels, food, souvenirs, etc.
This is unbelievably dumb, it will destroy entire tourist towns
And they spend a lot of money on hotels, food, souvenirs, etc.
This is unbelievably dumb, it will destroy entire tourist towns
November 26, 2025 at 3:43 AM
This will significantly hurt all my home states (Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah) which rely heavily on tourism to our national parks.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
dems in congress shouldn't stop talking about how noem must resign and face consequences for this atrocity
The first official confirmation that Noem herself made the decision not to turn the planes around. A couple hundred men were tortured as a result — and soon after, the Supreme Court confirmed that the Trump admin’s Alien Enemies Act process was a total violation of due process.
BREAKING:
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
“After receiving that legal advice, Secretary Noem directed that the AEA detainees who had been removed from the United States before the Court’s order could be transferred to the custody of El Salvador. “
November 26, 2025 at 3:41 AM
dems in congress shouldn't stop talking about how noem must resign and face consequences for this atrocity
Armed neutrality plus strict limits on arms would make Ukraine good at one thing: being ripe for the next round of Russian aggression.
Armed Neutrality for Ukraine Sounds Safe. History Says Otherwise. - nationalsecurityjournal.org/armed-neutra...
Armed Neutrality for Ukraine Sounds Safe. History Says Otherwise.
Trump’s draft Ukraine peace deal leans on “armed neutrality.” Robert Farley warns it’s unstable, costly, and almost guaranteed to set up the next war.
nationalsecurityjournal.org
November 26, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Armed neutrality plus strict limits on arms would make Ukraine good at one thing: being ripe for the next round of Russian aggression.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 AM
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Key point from Congressman Himes:
The through line for so many of the administration’s actions is performance.
Reality TV administration.
The through line for so many of the administration’s actions is performance.
Reality TV administration.
Himes: "In combination with the Russia plan and the lethal strikes on drug boats, what the world is seeing is that the Trump administration is purely performative. It doesn't matter what really happens so long as in the moment when you're very mad at Mark Kelly, you threaten to Court-martial him."
November 26, 2025 at 3:03 AM
Key point from Congressman Himes:
The through line for so many of the administration’s actions is performance.
Reality TV administration.
The through line for so many of the administration’s actions is performance.
Reality TV administration.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Reposted by Steve Saideman
All of us who graduated from The Wheatley School with Steve Witkoff in 1975 can take great pleasure in knowing that almost nothing any of us could ever do would make us the biggest asshole in our class.
November 26, 2025 at 3:09 AM
All of us who graduated from The Wheatley School with Steve Witkoff in 1975 can take great pleasure in knowing that almost nothing any of us could ever do would make us the biggest asshole in our class.
Advantage of flying to the opposite coast is that i can get emails about arctic threat inflation stories but can return to my movie about the slightly more scary death of the earth movie. I wonder how many humans survived in Interstellar.
November 26, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Advantage of flying to the opposite coast is that i can get emails about arctic threat inflation stories but can return to my movie about the slightly more scary death of the earth movie. I wonder how many humans survived in Interstellar.
I remember when South America was not among the top ten US defense priorities. It was so long ago.... 2024.
The Pentagon’s new "two-war construct” is going to be WWIII-prepping for China ("great-power competition”) and a large-scale occupation for Latin America. This would make the trillion-dollar budget permanent, and provide a new impetus for horizonless increases in military spending
As rumors of a U.S. war on Venezuela swirl, military documents show plans to feed a buildup of troops in the region for years.
November 25, 2025 at 9:13 PM
I remember when South America was not among the top ten US defense priorities. It was so long ago.... 2024.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Russia has, since the independence of Ukraine, sought to control Ukrainian sovereignty. It’s not just going to go away because Donetsk and Luhansk get signed over to them.
November 25, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Russia has, since the independence of Ukraine, sought to control Ukrainian sovereignty. It’s not just going to go away because Donetsk and Luhansk get signed over to them.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
November 23, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Just a friendly reminder as we go into the holidays:
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Folks don't have to explain to you why they don't drink.
If you offer them a drink and they decline, don't ask them why. It's not your business.
Just offer them something without alcohol to drink instead. And move on.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
In Run Like a Girl I talk in detail about the attacks, harassment and threats I faced online and offline not because I need sympathy but because we need change. No woman in politics or media should have to endure targeted abuse just for doing her job and speaking up.
🔗 tinyurl.com/22jux727
🔗 tinyurl.com/22jux727
November 25, 2025 at 6:27 PM
In Run Like a Girl I talk in detail about the attacks, harassment and threats I faced online and offline not because I need sympathy but because we need change. No woman in politics or media should have to endure targeted abuse just for doing her job and speaking up.
🔗 tinyurl.com/22jux727
🔗 tinyurl.com/22jux727
Reposted by Steve Saideman
This would be a massive, historic crime even if no one died — a rich guy is not permitted to arbitrarily close a government agency in a law-based society — but the massive body count turns it into an atrocity, the kind of thing we put people on trial for at The Hague.
The numbers vary from study to study but hundreds of thousands of people have died because of Elon Musk and Marco Rubio illegally disbanding USAID — a body count on par with the first eight years of the Syrian civil war — In just seven months. It’s mass death that is simply unfathomable in scale.
USAID shutdown has led to hundreds of thousands of deaths | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
The Trump administration’s decision to shut down the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths from infectious diseases and malnutrition, accord...
hsph.harvard.edu
November 25, 2025 at 2:07 PM
This would be a massive, historic crime even if no one died — a rich guy is not permitted to arbitrarily close a government agency in a law-based society — but the massive body count turns it into an atrocity, the kind of thing we put people on trial for at The Hague.
Reposted by Steve Saideman
More to the point, I think, is that he has a JD Vance-shaped problem
JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir-shaped problem? | Arwa Mahdawi
JD Vance might want to run in 2028 – but does he have a Palantir-shaped problem? | Arwa Mahdawi
The VP wouldn’t be where he is today without the patronage of the Palantir co-founder Peter Thiel. But with voters becoming more and more concerned about the firm’s surveillance tech, could that relationship affect his chances, asks Arwa Mahdawi
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:21 PM
More to the point, I think, is that he has a JD Vance-shaped problem
Reposted by Steve Saideman
Ukraine relations get even more chaotic. Two factions - Kushner/Witkoff and Vance/Driscoll - are both freelancing to set US policy: cutting out the State Dept, pushing Ukraine to surrender, then leaking to press to claim they are official. Why? Putin is desperate and has called in his assets. A 🧵 1/
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Ukraine relations get even more chaotic. Two factions - Kushner/Witkoff and Vance/Driscoll - are both freelancing to set US policy: cutting out the State Dept, pushing Ukraine to surrender, then leaking to press to claim they are official. Why? Putin is desperate and has called in his assets. A 🧵 1/
Reposted by Steve Saideman
I would decline to voluntarily cooperate. No way. Issue a subpoena and fight it out in court.
MS NOW confirms: The FBI is working with Capitol Police to schedule interviews with the six Democratic lawmakers who urged service members to refuse to comply with illegal orders.
November 25, 2025 at 5:39 PM
I would decline to voluntarily cooperate. No way. Issue a subpoena and fight it out in court.