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Scott Reynolds Nelson

@nelsonhist.bsky.social

2K followers 1.6K following 280 posts

Dad, historian, tireless layabout, often incompetent in meatspace. wrote: Steel Drivin' Man, Nation of Deadbeats, Iron Confederacies, & OCEANS OF GRAIN @basicbooks he/him

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 11

Here's my piece in Foreign Policy about how we've seen radical changes in tariffs or trade rules in the past (1819, 1837, 1890, 1930) & it ain't pretty. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions

What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.

foreignpolicy.com

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Reconstructionist @unavaleable.bsky.social · Aug 28

holy goddamn

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · Aug 28

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

My resignation letter from CDC.

Dear Dr. Houry,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested.

This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough.

While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people.

It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc.

I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information.

The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed.

For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision.

Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically.

Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · Jul 28

lol

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · Jul 12

It is now clear that average tariffs on August 1 are set to be higher than they were on "Liberation Day." Only a fool would look back to the chaos of early April and conclude that the problem was that the announced tariffs were too small.

If you're not worried, you're not paying attention.

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Jun 16

Just a reminder as Netanyahu bombs Tehran to the Stone Age, that most of "western civilization" (including writing, higher math, brass, wheat) actually came to us from North Africa via Persia

Ulric Ellherhausen's 1931 typanum over the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures at the University of Chicago showing Eastern Phoenicians, Persians, and Egyptians passing writing to the west

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Jun 12

I have access through Newsbank if that doesn't work out

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Jun 11

Look at the cover of the Ukrainian translation of my book! #booksky #WhatsHistory www.instagram.com/p/DI1ok8gN4Y...

An instagram post of a person holding a copy of the Ukrainian translation of Scott Reynolds Nelson's book, Oceans of Grain in front of a marble archway

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

derek guy @dieworkwear.bsky.social · Jun 10

Not true.

I see you're a luxury watch dealer. I'm also interested in watches. Let me show you how free and easy migration has allowed you to earn a living. 🧵

Corey Wiley on Twitter writes: "You don’t get it.
Foundational immigration law is morally just and has been established over millennia. Disrespecting these rules and ideals is very offensive to folks who highly value civilized society"

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · May 30

Elon Musk's DOGE sacked 10% of EPA officials just as Musk's xAI was spinning up. What is xAI's powerplant? 35(!) huge gas-powered generators in Memphis, all without permits, all discharging uncontrollably ... Colossus indeed www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VJT...

Elon Musk Built an Al Super Computer in Our Backyard: It's Poisoning Us

YouTube video by More Perfect Union

www.youtube.com

Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Bill Lindeke @blindeke.bsky.social · May 28

Its amazing that a thing i never even heard about five years ago is 78% of ocean plastic, literally everywhere e360.yale.edu/features/tir...

Road Hazard: Evidence Mounts on Toxic Pollution from Tires

Researchers are only beginning to uncover the toxic cocktail of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals hidden in car and truck tires. But experts say these tire emissions are a significant source ...

e360.yale.edu

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · Apr 23

paulkrugman.substack.com/p/cronyism-c...

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 23

Wow, & straightforwardly implying why Owen was removed too: "CBS's parent, Paramount global is trying to resolve the [Trump] suit as it completes a merger that needs government approval."

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · Apr 23

i have always admired and looked up to dickerson and this is a very good example of why

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · Apr 23

Check out how the anchors of CBS Evening News ended their broadcast tonight:

Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Karin Wulf @kawulf.bsky.social · Apr 19

Actually. How the US benefitted from outsourcing its research interests to experts in universities.

Chris Bail @chrisbail.bsky.social · Apr 19

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/18/u...

How Universities Became So Dependent on the Federal Government

For decades, universities got billions in federal dollars for research. The relationship was mutually beneficial, until President Trump decided it wasn’t.

www.nytimes.com

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · Apr 17

One of the worst effects of successive govts' rhetoric on Higher Ed is that it's 'training for a job'. So 18yos get themselves (and are pressured) onto narrow technical courses. Yet employers are crying out for ppl who can read, think, write, speak! I've never met an employer who said different.

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Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

American Historical Association @historians.org · Apr 14

"Since the 19th century, US government actions have led to drastic changes in international trade and finance," @nelsonhist.bsky.social writes in #AHAPerspectives. "And in all four cases, the result was not recessions but depressions." 🗃️

Radical Tariffs Aren’t New, But They Have Been Disastrous

In four cases, tariffs have led to depressions in US history.

www.historians.org

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 12

Radical changes in US tariffs have led to 4 US depressions, but carry on believing a rich guy who ought to know financial history, but apparently doesn't foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

Bill Ackman suggests that tariffs against China will (somehow) only hurt China, and that China should "Pick up the phone and call the President."

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 11

Gift copy of the article foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions

What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.

foreignpolicy.com

2 5

Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 11

Here's my piece in Foreign Policy about how we've seen radical changes in tariffs or trade rules in the past (1819, 1837, 1890, 1930) & it ain't pretty. foreignpolicy.com/2025/04/11/t...

The Awful History of Tariffs and Depressions

What the 19th century teaches us about what happens next.

foreignpolicy.com

1 18 41

Reposted by Scott Reynolds Nelson

Hell-issa Johnson, PhD 🎃 @ladyhistorian.bsky.social · Apr 10

Creating their own security forces, you say? Glad there's no horrifying historical precedents for this

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · Apr 10

Dept of Labor is hiring 8 new security hires to provide a permanent security detail for the DOGE-aligned Dep Secretary for abt $2 million a year. They're also relying on the US Marshals to deputize the new hires since there's no legal authority to guard the Dep. talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/doge-...

DOGE Playas, their DOGE Enforcer Pals And the Security Detail You Need to Be a True DOGE-Banger

Here is a topic that isn’t as consequential in itself as the...

talkingpointsmemo.com

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 10

This morning Wall Street will watch the result of a dead cat bounce. Historians will be here to tell you the crash that followed when Congress surrendered power to Pres. Andrew Jackson, aka Captain Ahab www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0J...

21 jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick

YouTube video by Scott Reynolds Nelson

www.youtube.com

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 10

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0J...

21 jackson's bank war, or how to understand moby dick

YouTube video by Scott Reynolds Nelson

www.youtube.com

Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 8

Uncorrected proof at academia.edu: www.academia.edu/56104256/The...

The Ordeal of Eugene Debs: The Panic of 1893, the Pullman Strike, and the Origins of the Progressive Movement

The American panic of 1893 had origins that were almost purely fiscal. No grand conflict between workers or owners started it; no fear of a growing socialist movement extended it. Yet within a year th...

www.academia.edu

Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 8

Also, in case you want to know more about how tariffs caused the 1893 depression & how Eugene Debs responded using the social media of the day to build a progressive movement: academic.oup.com/illinois-sch...

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 5

Dear spineless House Republicans:

Sep. 1833-6: Andrew Jackson messes w/ intl. trade, esp. hurts 2nd Bank of the US & the 7 sisters (Brit Banking houses)

July 1836: Bank of England raises the Bank rate & cuts off the 7 sisters

1837: Depression of 1837

see: Nation of Deadbeats, ch 11

A chart showing international trade based on land & enslaved people, bank notes, pet banks, treasury bills, with Bills of Exchange cut out. 2 presidential acts & 2 acts of congress make this possible:
Sep. 1833 Moves federal deposits from 2nd Bank of the US to his “pet banks”
Aug. 1834 Coinage Act (officially values silver lower to attract gold onto the market)
Jun. 1836 Distribution Act (distribute federal deposits among Jackson’s “pet banks”)
Jul. 1836 Specie Circular (you can only buy federal land with gold or silver)

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 5

Dear spineless Republican House members who don't know history:

1890: McKinley Tariff of 1890 drastically increases tariff
1891-2: US Treasury loses trust of foreign investors/lenders
1893: Depression of 1893
#history #tariffs
see: Nation of Deadbeats, ch. 10

In 1893 Grover Cleveland stands in front of a US Treasury vault that has been looted in President Benjamin Harrison's term (1889-1893) by the tariffs imposed in what has been called the McKinley Tariff of 1890

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Scott Reynolds Nelson @nelsonhist.bsky.social · Apr 5

Dear spineless House Republicans:

Mar. 1817: Congress passes *huge* tariffs
May 1817: Britain makes counter-tariffs
Dec 1818: US wheat loses Caribbean mkt, prices drop 50%
Mar 1819: Depression of 1819

#wakeup #history #tariff
See, Nation of Deadbeats, ch. 4 or www.jstor.org/stable/27105...

London newspaper describing American tariffs aimed at them. Warns that it will retaliate

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