Stewart Prest
@stewartprest.ca
Recalcitrant Canadian. Political scientist at UBC in Vancouver. I research, teach and talk international relations, BCpoli, comparative democratic institutions, and contentious politics. stewartprest.ca | https://stewartprest.substack.com
Pinned
Stewart Prest
@stewartprest.ca
· Apr 12
All of this would be hilarious if it weren't so serious.
There's a Dave in each of us, just waiting to burst out and appall the Morley in our loved ones.
yes, hello, I would like to place an order for everyone’s funniest stories of holiday food-related family grudges / drama / chaotic incidents / lore
I feel like we need this
I feel like we need this
November 25, 2025 at 2:35 AM
There's a Dave in each of us, just waiting to burst out and appall the Morley in our loved ones.
Reposted by Stewart Prest
The Carney government does seem to be particularly prone to actions that are premised on the idea that its authority, once declared, instantly becomes 100% effective.
It's a very "I am the boss" mentality; one often susceptible to being caught surprisised by other actors' soft and not-soft power.
It's a very "I am the boss" mentality; one often susceptible to being caught surprisised by other actors' soft and not-soft power.
Leaving BC and First Nations out of talks about a pipeline is a great way to slow any hypothetical future project.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
November 25, 2025 at 1:41 AM
The Carney government does seem to be particularly prone to actions that are premised on the idea that its authority, once declared, instantly becomes 100% effective.
It's a very "I am the boss" mentality; one often susceptible to being caught surprisised by other actors' soft and not-soft power.
It's a very "I am the boss" mentality; one often susceptible to being caught surprisised by other actors' soft and not-soft power.
Leaving BC and First Nations out of talks about a pipeline is a great way to slow any hypothetical future project.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
November 25, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Leaving BC and First Nations out of talks about a pipeline is a great way to slow any hypothetical future project.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
The inevitable risk of "streamlining" processes is that vital steps are skipped, leading to bad, often unsustainable decisions.
Reposted by Stewart Prest
I know it is now very controversial to say “go read the senate reports on Russian election interference” — but — go read the reports!
For sh*ts and giggles, break out the Mueller report too!
www.intelligence.senate.gov/2020/08/18/p...
For sh*ts and giggles, break out the Mueller report too!
www.intelligence.senate.gov/2020/08/18/p...
Report of the Select Committee on Intelligence United States Senate on Russian Active Measures Campaigns and Interference in the 2016 U.S. Election | Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
www.intelligence.senate.gov
November 24, 2025 at 1:21 AM
I know it is now very controversial to say “go read the senate reports on Russian election interference” — but — go read the reports!
For sh*ts and giggles, break out the Mueller report too!
www.intelligence.senate.gov/2020/08/18/p...
For sh*ts and giggles, break out the Mueller report too!
www.intelligence.senate.gov/2020/08/18/p...
Reposted by Stewart Prest
A reminder that this pattern of activity including the stupid handles and bio lines and emojis was catalogued in the Senate reports on Russia’s election interference in 2016 — a thing which actually happened!
Pretend Americans 🦅🇺🇸⭐️2A has been the game all along
www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...
Pretend Americans 🦅🇺🇸⭐️2A has been the game all along
www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...
Top MAGA Influencers Accidentally Unmasked as Foreign Actors
A new feature on Elon Musk’s X has given deeper insight into the online “America First” movement.
www.thedailybeast.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:18 AM
A reminder that this pattern of activity including the stupid handles and bio lines and emojis was catalogued in the Senate reports on Russia’s election interference in 2016 — a thing which actually happened!
Pretend Americans 🦅🇺🇸⭐️2A has been the game all along
www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...
Pretend Americans 🦅🇺🇸⭐️2A has been the game all along
www.thedailybeast.com/top-maga-inf...
The real surprise would be if it hadn't, given that avoiding regulation is one of crypto's core functions. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco...
Ryan Wedding organization allegedly used cryptocurrency to launder drug money
U.S. prosecutors say ex-Olympian used ‘sophisticated Tether network’ to move proceeds of sprawling drug-trafficking operation
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:48 PM
The real surprise would be if it hadn't, given that avoiding regulation is one of crypto's core functions. www.theglobeandmail.com/business/eco...
Who could have foreseen that enabling a leader with authoritarian tendencies would produce authoritarian behaviour?
PUNCHBOWL: “.. GOP members messaged us over the weekend saying that they, too, are considering retiring in the middle of the term. Here’s one particularly exercised senior House Republican:
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
@punchbowlnews.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Who could have foreseen that enabling a leader with authoritarian tendencies would produce authoritarian behaviour?
Reposted by Stewart Prest
"Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health...[A] staffer worried that keeping quiet...would be akin to the tobacco industry...'knowing cigs were bad & then keeping that info to themselves.'"
www.reuters.com
November 24, 2025 at 1:05 PM
"Meta shut down internal research into the mental health effects of Facebook after finding causal evidence that its products harmed users’ mental health...[A] staffer worried that keeping quiet...would be akin to the tobacco industry...'knowing cigs were bad & then keeping that info to themselves.'"
Reposted by Stewart Prest
Then this today in Punchbowl. Republicans are angry that the White House is "treating them like garbage". You can't act like you aren't worthy of any respect and then complain that you don't get respected. They are reaping what they sowed. (2/2)
November 24, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Then this today in Punchbowl. Republicans are angry that the White House is "treating them like garbage". You can't act like you aren't worthy of any respect and then complain that you don't get respected. They are reaping what they sowed. (2/2)
Reposted by Stewart Prest
A story in two parts. At the start of the Trump administration I heard from Republican Senators that they knew the outlandish people Trump was sending up for confirmation were tests of the "if you roll on this, you'll roll on everything" variety. And they rolled (1/2)
TAPPER: Dr Cassidy, RFK Jr lied to you
CASSIDY: First let me say what's most important -- vaccines are safe.
CASSIDY: First let me say what's most important -- vaccines are safe.
November 24, 2025 at 2:18 PM
A story in two parts. At the start of the Trump administration I heard from Republican Senators that they knew the outlandish people Trump was sending up for confirmation were tests of the "if you roll on this, you'll roll on everything" variety. And they rolled (1/2)
Reposted by Stewart Prest
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
November 21, 2025 at 2:56 PM
We spent a year investigating billionaires for @washingtonpost.com.
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
We found: the wealthiest 100 Americans gave $1.1 billion to influence the 2024 elections — 140x more than they did in 2000. And almost all of that giving boosted Republicans.
washingtonpost.com/politics/int...
Reposted by Stewart Prest
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
November 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
X rolled out a new feature overnight showing where accounts are based. This network of “Trump-supporting independent women” that claimed to be “real Americans” are based in Thailand.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
The photos were stolen from European models & posts pushed pro-Trump lines while targeting Islam and LGBTQ people.
Maduro is an autocrat responsible for the immiseration of the Venezuelan people, but a world without international law makes no one safer and the US is blatantly violating it in its actions in Venezuela.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com
November 23, 2025 at 6:55 AM
Maduro is an autocrat responsible for the immiseration of the Venezuelan people, but a world without international law makes no one safer and the US is blatantly violating it in its actions in Venezuela.
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
www.reuters.com/world/americ...
So apparently this is fine but Canadian governments using advertising to share views with Americans about trade is completely inappropriate.
Got it.
Got it.
November 21, 2025 at 7:09 PM
So apparently this is fine but Canadian governments using advertising to share views with Americans about trade is completely inappropriate.
Got it.
Got it.
Reposted by Stewart Prest
Let’s talk about sedition and treason, because the most powerful yet inadequate man in the world is having a tantrum about it, and his soulless, spineless sycophants are boosting his message.
/1
/1
November 20, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Let’s talk about sedition and treason, because the most powerful yet inadequate man in the world is having a tantrum about it, and his soulless, spineless sycophants are boosting his message.
/1
/1
Reposted by Stewart Prest
This is what competitive authoritarianism looks like - regime ally trying to purchase media and remove critical voices
November 20, 2025 at 7:41 PM
This is what competitive authoritarianism looks like - regime ally trying to purchase media and remove critical voices
The President of the United States is publicly calling for the political prosecution of his political opponents, urging the death penalty because they urged soldiers to uphold the rule of law.
This should be front page news everywhere. It is not, which tells much about how we got to this point.
This should be front page news everywhere. It is not, which tells much about how we got to this point.
November 20, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The President of the United States is publicly calling for the political prosecution of his political opponents, urging the death penalty because they urged soldiers to uphold the rule of law.
This should be front page news everywhere. It is not, which tells much about how we got to this point.
This should be front page news everywhere. It is not, which tells much about how we got to this point.
You know who's not in this picture? www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Carney, Smith moving closer to a deal that could include B.C. oil pipeline: source | CBC News
Prime Minister Mark Carney and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith are moving closer to reaching a deal on the future of Alberta's energy sector, according to a senior government official, and that memoran...
www.cbc.ca
November 19, 2025 at 10:10 PM
You know who's not in this picture? www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Hello Ottawa, it's been a minute. Definitely a metaphor in this photo somehow or other.
November 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Hello Ottawa, it's been a minute. Definitely a metaphor in this photo somehow or other.
"You don't have to embarrass our guest"... for ordering the murder of a journalist on foreign soil.
Contrast with the treatment of democratically elected leaders from around the world.
Contrast with the treatment of democratically elected leaders from around the world.
Trump suggests Khashoggi had it coming: "You're mentioning someone that was extremely controversial. A lot of people didn't like that gentleman that you're talking about. Whether you like him or didn't like him, things happen. But he knew nothing about it. You don't have to embarrass our guest."
November 18, 2025 at 8:55 PM
"You don't have to embarrass our guest"... for ordering the murder of a journalist on foreign soil.
Contrast with the treatment of democratically elected leaders from around the world.
Contrast with the treatment of democratically elected leaders from around the world.
Reposted by Stewart Prest
New opinion piece in the @vancouversun.bsky.social: A turn to austerity will cost Vancouver dearly. vancouversun.com/opinion/opin...
Opinion: Vancouver goes small: The city risks big new problems with its proposed turn to austerity
Austerity budgets save some money in the short term, but have long-term costs, both financial and otherwise
vancouversun.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
New opinion piece in the @vancouversun.bsky.social: A turn to austerity will cost Vancouver dearly. vancouversun.com/opinion/opin...
New opinion piece in the @vancouversun.bsky.social: A turn to austerity will cost Vancouver dearly. vancouversun.com/opinion/opin...
Opinion: Vancouver goes small: The city risks big new problems with its proposed turn to austerity
Austerity budgets save some money in the short term, but have long-term costs, both financial and otherwise
vancouversun.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:51 PM
New opinion piece in the @vancouversun.bsky.social: A turn to austerity will cost Vancouver dearly. vancouversun.com/opinion/opin...
Reposted by Stewart Prest
Don't ever ask Canadians why they aren't pursuing fun US vacays. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Irish tourist jailed by Ice for months after overstaying US visit by three days: ‘Nobody is safe’
Exclusive: For roughly 100 days, Thomas says he faced harsh detention conditions, despite agreeing to deportation
www.theguardian.com
November 17, 2025 at 9:24 PM
Don't ever ask Canadians why they aren't pursuing fun US vacays. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Fun fact: the Grey Cup coin toss is federal jurisdiction.
November 16, 2025 at 11:43 PM
Fun fact: the Grey Cup coin toss is federal jurisdiction.