Matt Kavanagh
@mattkavanagh.bsky.social
college professor / contemporary American novel / film noir / financial fiction / writer and reviewer / 🇨🇦 / personal account
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Matt Kavanagh
@mattkavanagh.bsky.social
· Nov 14
Since I’m new here, I thought I’d repost myTwitter thread from 2018 on #HannahArendt and #Trumphasia: a topic that is unfortunately still relevant today. 1/
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
i can handle this one: it is because he is an illiterate boer ape
I know there a thousand other points to make here, but: why did Musk put a picture of the Odyssey in a thread about the Iliad?
*maximum alpha at 1.25x speed* continuously lives on in my head, unfortunately.
November 11, 2025 at 2:56 AM
i can handle this one: it is because he is an illiterate boer ape
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
On #RememberanceDay in Canada we say #LestWeForget because forgetting means we fail to honour those who gave their lives defending freedom from fascists and nazis. And all those who still defend us today.
It’s also because if we forget, we’re doomed to repeat.
That’s more relevant now than ever.
It’s also because if we forget, we’re doomed to repeat.
That’s more relevant now than ever.
November 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
On #RememberanceDay in Canada we say #LestWeForget because forgetting means we fail to honour those who gave their lives defending freedom from fascists and nazis. And all those who still defend us today.
It’s also because if we forget, we’re doomed to repeat.
That’s more relevant now than ever.
It’s also because if we forget, we’re doomed to repeat.
That’s more relevant now than ever.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
V. good from Bonica:
'When your “negotiation” is just agreeing to stop inflicting pain, it’s extortion, not compromise. And when the opposition accepts those terms, they teach you that inflicting pain works.'
'When your “negotiation” is just agreeing to stop inflicting pain, it’s extortion, not compromise. And when the opposition accepts those terms, they teach you that inflicting pain works.'
The Compassion Trap: How the Shutdown Weaponized Democratic Values Against Democracy Itself
When Opposition Parties Stop Fighting Because the Cruelty Becomes Unbearable. And Why They Shouldn't.
data4democracy.substack.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:28 PM
V. good from Bonica:
'When your “negotiation” is just agreeing to stop inflicting pain, it’s extortion, not compromise. And when the opposition accepts those terms, they teach you that inflicting pain works.'
'When your “negotiation” is just agreeing to stop inflicting pain, it’s extortion, not compromise. And when the opposition accepts those terms, they teach you that inflicting pain works.'
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
He just stole this idea from Iain M. Banks' Culture books without acknowledging what Banks tells us time and time again is the reason that the Culture is able to function as a post-scarcity society: Communism.
November 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
He just stole this idea from Iain M. Banks' Culture books without acknowledging what Banks tells us time and time again is the reason that the Culture is able to function as a post-scarcity society: Communism.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Kendrick, Joyce Carol Oates, Menswear Guy, and Isaac Chotiner are the Voltron of People You Don't Want Focusing on You
November 11, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Kendrick, Joyce Carol Oates, Menswear Guy, and Isaac Chotiner are the Voltron of People You Don't Want Focusing on You
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
A thing I wrote about Schumer when Mamdani won the primary and kind of thinking about it a lot the last two days
Worth reminding everyone that the current highest ranking Democrat in America openly admits he bases his decisions on what he thinks an imaginary person would want and today he and most of his allies are struggling to understand how somebody like Mamdani won by talking to voters who actually exist
November 11, 2025 at 7:25 PM
A thing I wrote about Schumer when Mamdani won the primary and kind of thinking about it a lot the last two days
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
This can’t be real
The WH is going to keep refuting overwhelming data on inflation with weird one offs that don’t matter at all
At some point embarrassment MUST come
November 11, 2025 at 7:45 PM
This can’t be real
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro: “I ordered the militarisation of the entire country starting at 4pm by land, sea, and air.”
November 11, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro: “I ordered the militarisation of the entire country starting at 4pm by land, sea, and air.”
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
*Siri, play Fontella Bass*
Three German universities offering post-docs for researchers "who cannot conduct or continue their work in the USA appropriately because of actual political pressure. "
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
www.uni-konstanz.de/zukunftskoll...
Early Career Rescue Fellowship
www.uni-konstanz.de
November 11, 2025 at 7:47 PM
*Siri, play Fontella Bass*
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
As the full-scale war enters into its fourth year, novelist and poet Myroslav Laiuk has found himself drawn to front-line reporting. He has traveled everywhere, from Bakhmut to Pokrovsk and Kherson, documenting the war and those living through it.
‘Compared to Bakhmut, this is already a different war’ — novelist Myroslav Laiuk on his wartime reporting
As the full-scale war enters into its fourth year, novelist and poet Myroslav Laiuk has found himself drawn to front-line reporting. He has traveled everywhere, from Bakhmut to Pokrovsk and Kherson, d...
kyivindependent.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
As the full-scale war enters into its fourth year, novelist and poet Myroslav Laiuk has found himself drawn to front-line reporting. He has traveled everywhere, from Bakhmut to Pokrovsk and Kherson, documenting the war and those living through it.
Artificial intelligence with Russian characteristics.
Russia presented its human-like AI robot. It fell down as it walked onto the stage.
November 11, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Artificial intelligence with Russian characteristics.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Folks have been telling me they’ve noticed I’ve gotten “a lot more political” on social media this year.
Of course I have.
The circumstances have gotten nightmarishly worse, and the consequences of inaction and staying silent infinitely more obvious.
Everyone needs to get “a lot more political.”
Of course I have.
The circumstances have gotten nightmarishly worse, and the consequences of inaction and staying silent infinitely more obvious.
Everyone needs to get “a lot more political.”
November 11, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Folks have been telling me they’ve noticed I’ve gotten “a lot more political” on social media this year.
Of course I have.
The circumstances have gotten nightmarishly worse, and the consequences of inaction and staying silent infinitely more obvious.
Everyone needs to get “a lot more political.”
Of course I have.
The circumstances have gotten nightmarishly worse, and the consequences of inaction and staying silent infinitely more obvious.
Everyone needs to get “a lot more political.”
Slopper.
I like it.
I like it.
Reminder: If you use generative AI for *any of your writing tasks* you are a Slopper not a writer and should be ashamed of yourself. The end.
November 11, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Slopper.
I like it.
I like it.
This is getting fkn ridiculous.
We voted for elbows up. We voted for transformational changes in our economy to tighten our east-west connections. We voted for a leader who could manage our uncoupling from America without sucking up to Trump.
We didn’t vote for this.
We voted for elbows up. We voted for transformational changes in our economy to tighten our east-west connections. We voted for a leader who could manage our uncoupling from America without sucking up to Trump.
We didn’t vote for this.
Every word of this article hurts me with caustic stupidity.
This is not a complaint about the writing of, or writer of, the article.
This is not a complaint about the writing of, or writer of, the article.
Budget promises to introduce framework for Canadian dollar-backed cryptocurrency | CBC News
The Liberal government is committing to roll out new legislation to ensure some digital currencies are secure and stable enough for consumers and businesses to use.
www.cbc.ca
November 11, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is getting fkn ridiculous.
We voted for elbows up. We voted for transformational changes in our economy to tighten our east-west connections. We voted for a leader who could manage our uncoupling from America without sucking up to Trump.
We didn’t vote for this.
We voted for elbows up. We voted for transformational changes in our economy to tighten our east-west connections. We voted for a leader who could manage our uncoupling from America without sucking up to Trump.
We didn’t vote for this.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Finally got to write about this obsession. Elon pushed people to stop linking the articles they were talking about. He's started to roll that back, but we were left with a culture of people yelling at screenshots of headlines on monetized accounts
Read @daveweigel.bsky.social on the widespread societal consequences of Elon's link suppression:
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/how-e...
talkingpointsmemo.com/tpm-25/how-e...
How Elon Musk’s Changes to X Made Our Discourse Far Stupider
We don’t know the minute when X started throttling links to news,...
talkingpointsmemo.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Finally got to write about this obsession. Elon pushed people to stop linking the articles they were talking about. He's started to roll that back, but we were left with a culture of people yelling at screenshots of headlines on monetized accounts
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
This is actually good spin, or would have been. But the fact that the Democratic cave happened without even a coordinated, agreed-upon message like this indicates the depth of the leadership void.
November 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
This is actually good spin, or would have been. But the fact that the Democratic cave happened without even a coordinated, agreed-upon message like this indicates the depth of the leadership void.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Ethiopia last year banned the import of new gasoline-powered cars. Nepal reduced import duties on EVs so much that they are now cheaper than cars with internal combustion engines. Brazil raised tariffs on car imports to compel Chinese automakers to set up plants inside Brazil. Etc
A Flood of Green Tech From China Is Upending Global Climate Politics
www.nytimes.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:55 AM
Ethiopia last year banned the import of new gasoline-powered cars. Nepal reduced import duties on EVs so much that they are now cheaper than cars with internal combustion engines. Brazil raised tariffs on car imports to compel Chinese automakers to set up plants inside Brazil. Etc
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Sincere question: Do Democrats not understand how the ACA works? Do they not understand they are bankrupting people
Maybe the GOP was never going to fully cave on extending the tax credits but the “deal” the Dems settled for is worthless to most ACA users!
Maybe the GOP was never going to fully cave on extending the tax credits but the “deal” the Dems settled for is worthless to most ACA users!
November 11, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Sincere question: Do Democrats not understand how the ACA works? Do they not understand they are bankrupting people
Maybe the GOP was never going to fully cave on extending the tax credits but the “deal” the Dems settled for is worthless to most ACA users!
Maybe the GOP was never going to fully cave on extending the tax credits but the “deal” the Dems settled for is worthless to most ACA users!
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
21-22nd November is Fall of Freedom, our national action against authoritarianism. We now have over 450 events happening across the US, in 40+ states. It’s not too late to join in! Check the map to see what’s happening near you www.falloffreedom.com/participants
Fall of Freedom
Fall of Freedom is an urgent call to the arts community to unite in defiance of authoritarian forces sweeping the nation.
www.falloffreedom.com
November 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
21-22nd November is Fall of Freedom, our national action against authoritarianism. We now have over 450 events happening across the US, in 40+ states. It’s not too late to join in! Check the map to see what’s happening near you www.falloffreedom.com/participants
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
The horror of the aggression against Bosnia: "Prosecutors in Milan have opened an investigation into Italians who allegedly paid members of the Bosnian Serb army for trips to Sarajevo so that they could kill citizens during the four-year siege of the city". www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Milan prosecutors investigate alleged ‘sniper tourism’ during Bosnian war
Groups from Italy and elsewhere alleged to have paid Serb soldiers to shoot Sarajevo residents during siege
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 5:38 PM
The horror of the aggression against Bosnia: "Prosecutors in Milan have opened an investigation into Italians who allegedly paid members of the Bosnian Serb army for trips to Sarajevo so that they could kill citizens during the four-year siege of the city". www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
I want to thank all the veterans who have served this country, but especially the transgender veterans who served and still desire to serve in spite of being treated like 2nd class citizens by the very country they defend. Thank you all for your service.
November 11, 2025 at 5:01 PM
I want to thank all the veterans who have served this country, but especially the transgender veterans who served and still desire to serve in spite of being treated like 2nd class citizens by the very country they defend. Thank you all for your service.
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
It's my sense that a lot of people view tech/vc wealth through the lens of private jets, mansions, vanity projects
Surely they enjoy their creature comforts but this isn't about personal extravagance, its about building an infrastructure project across the global south to compete with Belt and Road
Surely they enjoy their creature comforts but this isn't about personal extravagance, its about building an infrastructure project across the global south to compete with Belt and Road
November 11, 2025 at 5:26 PM
It's my sense that a lot of people view tech/vc wealth through the lens of private jets, mansions, vanity projects
Surely they enjoy their creature comforts but this isn't about personal extravagance, its about building an infrastructure project across the global south to compete with Belt and Road
Surely they enjoy their creature comforts but this isn't about personal extravagance, its about building an infrastructure project across the global south to compete with Belt and Road
Reposted by Matt Kavanagh
Today I'm thinking of all veterans, all who carry seen and unseen scars. I can still hear the voice of my grandfather, Nicholas Fasano, who fought against tyranny at the Battle of the Bulge. And I can hear what he said, silently, with his acts. With his hands. With his life.
November 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Today I'm thinking of all veterans, all who carry seen and unseen scars. I can still hear the voice of my grandfather, Nicholas Fasano, who fought against tyranny at the Battle of the Bulge. And I can hear what he said, silently, with his acts. With his hands. With his life.