Paul Slimin'
@legendsofthepaul.bsky.social
Law, electoral politics, media, philosophy, hot takes, etc. | he/him | All lies and jest
Pinned
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
I wrote about unit self defense in this piece in a very different context. It’s always been a slippery slope. But whatever the contours, unit self defense is not an available defense to invading a country without legal cause. A state can’t use it to backfill a defense to their armed attack.
Legally Sliding into War
"We need to grapple with the legal mechanisms through which presidential administration after administration has legally justified escalating, elongating, and expanding conflicts over the last two dec...
www.justsecurity.org
January 3, 2026 at 11:08 AM
I wrote about unit self defense in this piece in a very different context. It’s always been a slippery slope. But whatever the contours, unit self defense is not an available defense to invading a country without legal cause. A state can’t use it to backfill a defense to their armed attack.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
Saying personhood is "realized through participation in the community's social life" is exactly Vermeule's position
For instance, in a society where each community decides who counts as a person, one shudders to imagine what level of personhood queer people may receive.
January 2, 2026 at 1:20 AM
Saying personhood is "realized through participation in the community's social life" is exactly Vermeule's position
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
leftists stop getting mesmerized by "steven miller but with more Theory" challenge level Nightmare+
For instance, in a society where each community decides who counts as a person, one shudders to imagine what level of personhood queer people may receive.
January 1, 2026 at 11:44 PM
leftists stop getting mesmerized by "steven miller but with more Theory" challenge level Nightmare+
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
There is more than just a tension between liberalism and traditional European modes of thinking. Sometimes we forget as much though because Liberalism thrashed a lot of those modes into submission
The author here persuasively asserts a tension between liberalism and traditional African modes of thinking. I remain unconvinced, however, to prefer a world where liberalism yields to traditional thought rather than the other way around.
aeon.co/essays/decol...
aeon.co/essays/decol...
Decolonise political thought: Africa’s alternatives to liberalism | Aeon Essays
Liberalism hasn’t delivered on its promises in Africa. The alternative will be found in ideas rooted in Africa’s own soil
aeon.co
January 1, 2026 at 11:32 PM
There is more than just a tension between liberalism and traditional European modes of thinking. Sometimes we forget as much though because Liberalism thrashed a lot of those modes into submission
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
not to be snide, but eeeeeverybody hates gesellschaft until it's time to actually live in gemeinschaft
January 1, 2026 at 8:50 PM
not to be snide, but eeeeeverybody hates gesellschaft until it's time to actually live in gemeinschaft
The author here persuasively asserts a tension between liberalism and traditional African modes of thinking. I remain unconvinced, however, to prefer a world where liberalism yields to traditional thought rather than the other way around.
aeon.co/essays/decol...
aeon.co/essays/decol...
Decolonise political thought: Africa’s alternatives to liberalism | Aeon Essays
Liberalism hasn’t delivered on its promises in Africa. The alternative will be found in ideas rooted in Africa’s own soil
aeon.co
January 1, 2026 at 8:25 PM
The author here persuasively asserts a tension between liberalism and traditional African modes of thinking. I remain unconvinced, however, to prefer a world where liberalism yields to traditional thought rather than the other way around.
aeon.co/essays/decol...
aeon.co/essays/decol...
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
December 31, 2025 at 11:31 PM
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
The conditions in Central Islip were so inhumane that even the Trump administration has admitted they were wrong. That says a great deal about how bad things really were.
December 31, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The conditions in Central Islip were so inhumane that even the Trump administration has admitted they were wrong. That says a great deal about how bad things really were.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
December 31, 2025 at 6:15 PM
pound for pound this might be the funniest thing ever written
Honestly how they actually did it is not far off from this
December 31, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Honestly how they actually did it is not far off from this
The author makes some important points here, but also some very wrong ones, most notably the tiring canard that Democrats “abandoned the working class.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Why is the Democratic party hiding its 2024 autopsy report? | Norman Soloman
If the DNC isn’t open and transparent about why they lost, then how can we be sure they will learn their lesson this time?
www.theguardian.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The author makes some important points here, but also some very wrong ones, most notably the tiring canard that Democrats “abandoned the working class.”
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
Political parties are a coordination mechanism. They are not your Emotional Support Dog. If you don't like the direction of the Party, get in there and turn the ship around.
December 29, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Political parties are a coordination mechanism. They are not your Emotional Support Dog. If you don't like the direction of the Party, get in there and turn the ship around.
Interesting anecdote for those who like to insist class/economic conditions explains all.
December 29, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Interesting anecdote for those who like to insist class/economic conditions explains all.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok!
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
The NYT Recruiting Brochure for New College
A failing Ron DeSantis higher ed experiment gets a boost
donmoynihan.substack.com
December 28, 2025 at 7:50 PM
New, from me: The NYT reporter who specializes in profiles of beleaguered right-wingers on campus went to New College...and found out that things were going ok!
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
So let me explain some pretty massive errors of omission: 🧵
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-nyt-re...
The Hunt (2012)
Give me a list of movies that are holiday movies despite not being holiday movies.
Let’s call the genre the Die Hardlike.
Let’s call the genre the Die Hardlike.
December 24, 2025 at 11:42 PM
The Hunt (2012)
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
The metric system makes more sense overall but Americans are correct on floor naming conventions and temperature. “I’m on floor 0” No. You are on floor 1.
December 24, 2025 at 11:22 PM
The metric system makes more sense overall but Americans are correct on floor naming conventions and temperature. “I’m on floor 0” No. You are on floor 1.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
I just cracked the code on this whole "6-7" thing. The kids are reminding us just how difficult it is to remove anyone via impeachment.
December 22, 2025 at 8:57 PM
I just cracked the code on this whole "6-7" thing. The kids are reminding us just how difficult it is to remove anyone via impeachment.
Classic move. This is also, for example, where you can tell the nonsense begins in Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind,” as he stops relying on others’ research and shifts to only his own.
Hilariously, like any crank, her evidence is her evidence. Every single one of the papers she cites for the "much previous research" around a friendly world is one of her own papers.
You can dislike AI! But do not be swindled by this shit!
I leave you with one hell of a figure from the "paper".
You can dislike AI! But do not be swindled by this shit!
I leave you with one hell of a figure from the "paper".
December 23, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Classic move. This is also, for example, where you can tell the nonsense begins in Jonathan Haidt’s “The Righteous Mind,” as he stops relying on others’ research and shifts to only his own.
Wait, Wynton Marsalis signed the Harper’s Letter? This is the first I’ve heard he has any involvement in the Discourse.
so how many of these signatories are in the epstein files? Chomsky, Brooks? A lot are also just morally bankrupt in other ways (lmfao olivia nuzzi signed), also fucking bari weiss is on this list
December 22, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Wait, Wynton Marsalis signed the Harper’s Letter? This is the first I’ve heard he has any involvement in the Discourse.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
there are also--as we talk about in the podcast--some Very Interesting parallels with the structure of the chinese economy: the role of suppressed consumption, entrenched interests, and the recurring belief that "scientific and technical revolution" "new productive forces" will save the regime
December 21, 2025 at 11:57 PM
there are also--as we talk about in the podcast--some Very Interesting parallels with the structure of the chinese economy: the role of suppressed consumption, entrenched interests, and the recurring belief that "scientific and technical revolution" "new productive forces" will save the regime
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
at the end of the day, the party--and especially the big men in the party--*liked* an economy forced into heavy industrial production. it gave them swagger on the world stage and legitimacy at home. and controlling those big industrial combines was how they maintained their patronage networks.
December 21, 2025 at 11:55 PM
at the end of the day, the party--and especially the big men in the party--*liked* an economy forced into heavy industrial production. it gave them swagger on the world stage and legitimacy at home. and controlling those big industrial combines was how they maintained their patronage networks.
Nature is healing.
December 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Nature is healing.
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
For those asking--I do not advocate CB because it paints a better picture--consumers are still feeling pretty glum, it is because the sample size is 3x (3000 vs <1000 in UMich) and the methodology is more consistent over time whereas UMich went to online collection resulting in a known downward bias
December 19, 2025 at 4:50 PM
For those asking--I do not advocate CB because it paints a better picture--consumers are still feeling pretty glum, it is because the sample size is 3x (3000 vs <1000 in UMich) and the methodology is more consistent over time whereas UMich went to online collection resulting in a known downward bias
Reposted by Paul Slimin'
🚨USE THE CONFERENCE BOARD MEASURE OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE! IGNORE MICHIGAN--DO NOT RUN AWAY WITH GRANDIOSE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE WORLD BASED ON UMICH!🚨
December 19, 2025 at 4:22 PM
🚨USE THE CONFERENCE BOARD MEASURE OF CONSUMER CONFIDENCE! IGNORE MICHIGAN--DO NOT RUN AWAY WITH GRANDIOSE INTERPRETATIONS OF THE WORLD BASED ON UMICH!🚨
Bring back implied remedies!
Kennedy Center absurdity is another example of how many laws are on the books but don't have any actionable remedy because Congress just assumed, especially on something so mundane and obvious as "what is the name of this thing we're creating?," that the law would of course be followed on its face.
December 19, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Bring back implied remedies!