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Reposted by Eelco van der Maat

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 1d

i desperately want everyone involved in the destruction of USAID to have to, st the very least, answer to the american people for the suffering and misery they have caused apnews.com/article/myan...

Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.

apnews.com

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Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · 1d

Revenge of the sloth.

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Tom Pepinsky @tompepinsky.com · 12d

Przeworski says it cleanly, clearly, and convincingly.

What then must we do?

www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...

The Democratic establishment is clearly betting that Republicans will offer them an electoral victory while they attend the wedding parties of billionaires. The only vision for the Democratic Party originates from its left wing, which is vigorously censured by its mainstream. It may well be that the Democratic leadership is correct in thinking that the best strategy is to do nothing and waiting for MAGA to fail. But this, like MAGA, is a “back again” ideology, one of “restoring” democracy rather than transforming the conditions that generated the present disaster. To restore democracy, it needs to be reformed. This is the project we need.

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Hilde van Meegdenburg 🟥 @hildevanmeegdenburg.com · 14d

⬇️ 100% dit! ⬇️

"Het idee dat iedere ideologie die als mening wordt gepresenteerd een podium zou moeten krijgen op de universiteit, is een karikatuur van de academische vrijheid"

www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...

Opinie: De universiteit is geen talkshowtafel

De druk op academische vrijheid komt niet vanuit studenten, maar vanuit politieke partijen die zich willen bemoeien met de inhoud van colleges. Ook media dragen daar aan bij door onvoldoende kritisch ...

www.volkskrant.nl

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slick nik @coleskiiiiii.bsky.social · 17d

shit ain’t over til it’s over

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Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · 20d

This is good advice.

There'll be no winners in authoritarianism. All elements of US society—including the GOP and large corporations—are unequipped to thrive under authoritarianism. Mobilization and coordination is far less costly today than it will be tomorrow.

open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...

"Wars Are Not Won by Evacuations”: A Historian’s Action Plan

Table of Contents

open.substack.com

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Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · 23d

I, for one, consider that flag to be a big plus.

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Dan Nexon @dhnexon.bsky.social · Aug 30

🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.

The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...

The authoritarian checklist

It is time to admit that America is no longer a functioning democracy

donmoynihan.substack.com

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Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · Aug 28

"Trump's objective—which is aligned with the interests of certain US technology companies—is to implement regime change in Europe." — @alexandrageese.bsky.social

Alexandra is, of course, entirely right — and it's high time to push back. www.techpolicy.press/europe-canno...

Europe Cannot Wait to Fight Trump’s Assault on Democracy | TechPolicy.Press

Trump’s goal, aligned with the interests of some US tech companies, is to push for regime change in Europe, writes MEP Alexandra Geese.

www.techpolicy.press

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omerbartov.bsky.social @omerbartov.bsky.social · Jul 15

My NYT op-ed this morning
I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...

Opinion | I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.

www.nytimes.com

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Sarah Parkinson @separkinson.bsky.social · Jul 11

A "brief document meant to detail GHF’s mission did not meet “requirements for Safe and Accountable programming,” the review said."

“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said...asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.

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abbey steele @abbeyst.bsky.social · Jul 2

"From what I can tell, ICE is a secret police when acting in a public space...The comparativist in me wants to think about other police forces in history which had such broad and ill-defined powers. But such comparisons are too frightening."

adamprzeworski.substack.com/p/week-19

WEEK 19

adamprzeworski.substack.com

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Popehat Agitates And Irritates @kenwhite.bsky.social · Jul 1

You think that vast armed force is going to be used just for immigration?

I doubt it. Watch for ICE duties to expand duties and for ICE to follow the pattern of militarization of police. Also watch it used as secret police against anything anti-ICE.

Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · Jun 28

If the GOP reconciliation bill passes, ICE gets through FY2029:

- $45 billion for detention, on top of the current annual budget of $3.4 billion
- $14.4 billion for transportation and removal, on top of the current annual budget of $750 million
- $8 billion for hiring/retention
- Billions more.

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · Jun 28

‼️‼️

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NY Times Pitchbot @nytpitchbot.bsky.social · Jul 1

Opinion | Yes, I voted for Trump’s megabill despite knowing it will harm my constituents. But if I hadn’t, I’d be primaried by someone who’d vote just like me but not give anti-Trump comments on background to The Times.

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Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · Jul 1

The gun will be aimed at GOP senators, members of congress, judges, and other officials soon enough—if it isn't already.

Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · Jul 1

I don't quite understand why GOP senators seem unaware of the threat this poses to themselves and their families. Either they're all incredibly naive or they are already feeling threatened.

Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · Jul 1

Trump and Miller are intent on building an unaccountable domestic secret police force that would be the world's third-biggest security force by funding levels, after the US and China's *militaries*.

That kind of funding dwarfs its stated purpose, which tells you what its real purpose will be.

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Judah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · Jul 1

Trump and Miller are intent on building an unaccountable domestic secret police force that would be the world's third-biggest security force by funding levels, after the US and China's *militaries*.

That kind of funding dwarfs its stated purpose, which tells you what its real purpose will be.

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Eelco van der Maat @evandermaat.bsky.social · Jul 1

The gun will be aimed at GOP senators, members of congress, judges, and officials soon enough—if it isn't already.

Darin Self @darinself.com · Jul 1

If a sitting president can openly muse about arresting and disappearing someone who is likely to become mayor of the country's largest city, while also getting the funding for a massive secret police, it'd be hard to find sufficient evidence to qualify that country as a democracy.

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · Jul 1

Trump threatens to arrest Mamdani and then adds, "a lot of people are saying he's here illegally"

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Simon Hix @simonhix.bsky.social · Jun 26

This is fantastic. Very excited by this development in European Political Science.

Please come and join us. Get involved. Sign up to the listserv. Etc

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · Jun 26

🚨 Big News for European Political Science 🚨

We’re thrilled to announce the launch of the European Political Science Society (EPSS): a new, member-led, not-for-profit association built to support our scholarly community.

🔗 epssnet.org

Here’s a thread with everything you need to know.

🧵

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Tim Onion @bencollins.bsky.social · Jun 21

ICE is also the fault of a complicit press.

How, where and who did ICE recruit? Why isn't every newspaper in the country devoting themselves to finding out who is in this brand new secret police force that now terrorizes America?

It's the definition of newsworthy. The answer is: they're afraid.