@seanmac31.bsky.social
Reposted
In functioning democracies, ministers resign all the time, under threat of a no confidence vote in the parliament. We have a system where legislative confirmation totally fails ex ante to screen out wildly unqualified people, & ex post accountability depends on a toothless extraordinary measure.
Impeach Kristi Noem.
As you evaluate this from Kristi Noem, remember that when a federal agent shot a woman in Chicago last year, DHS's initial version of events was full of lies that fell apart under subsequent scrutiny:
newrepublic.com/article/2019...
newrepublic.com/article/2019...
January 7, 2026 at 7:35 PM
In functioning democracies, ministers resign all the time, under threat of a no confidence vote in the parliament. We have a system where legislative confirmation totally fails ex ante to screen out wildly unqualified people, & ex post accountability depends on a toothless extraordinary measure.
Fallout feels like AI's version of prestige television.
January 6, 2026 at 12:46 AM
Fallout feels like AI's version of prestige television.
Jaxson Dart. Fun player.
January 4, 2026 at 7:26 PM
Jaxson Dart. Fun player.
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this is basically ricks' argument in THE GENERALS: that the structure of the american military (and political leadership) has generated an enormously competent professional force... that consistently generates useless results because of a void of strategic thinking at the top
January 4, 2026 at 1:51 PM
this is basically ricks' argument in THE GENERALS: that the structure of the american military (and political leadership) has generated an enormously competent professional force... that consistently generates useless results because of a void of strategic thinking at the top
Fallout isn't really doing it for me.
January 4, 2026 at 5:28 AM
Fallout isn't really doing it for me.
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It’s not this coherent.
It’s not about drugs. If it was, Trump wouldn’t have pardoned one of the largest narco traffickers in the world last month.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
It’s about oil and regime change.
And they need a trial now to pretend that it isn’t. Especially to distract from his sinking under Epstein and skyrocketing healthcare costs.
January 3, 2026 at 3:40 PM
It’s not this coherent.
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one of my recent preoccupations is the visceral hostility the MAGA right has for the histories and traditions of the United States. these are people who spit on the Declaration and salute third-rate European despots!
It's striking that progressives like Tim Walz and Zohran Mamdani evoke the middle American attitude that, "Yes, we can fix these social problems because we're Americans and it's the right thing to do!" While the "America first" right only emulates failed and failing nation-states elsewhere.
January 2, 2026 at 12:45 AM
one of my recent preoccupations is the visceral hostility the MAGA right has for the histories and traditions of the United States. these are people who spit on the Declaration and salute third-rate European despots!
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I've mentioned this before, but one of the very few historical fiction series to really convey the bigotry of the past is Flashman, out of a strange mixture of diligent reading and the author's own racism. Most notable, it uses the n-word as much as the British actually did about India.
look I have no problem with characters facing hideous racism in Victorian England but it actually feels like they’re often just facing familiar modern racism, uncomfortable comments about their eye shape and the like
December 26, 2025 at 8:21 AM
I've mentioned this before, but one of the very few historical fiction series to really convey the bigotry of the past is Flashman, out of a strange mixture of diligent reading and the author's own racism. Most notable, it uses the n-word as much as the British actually did about India.
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Look, I'm sure that Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" will be fun, but I highly doubt it will be as good as the original.
December 25, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Look, I'm sure that Nolan's adaptation of "The Odyssey" will be fun, but I highly doubt it will be as good as the original.
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My dad died last May. More than anything else, history was what we shared in common. As we have the first Christmas without him, I reflected on what that meant. open.substack.com/pub/patrickw...
My Dad and History
Subscribers to the Past Lives Patreon have access to an audio version of this essay, along with tons of other great bonus content.
open.substack.com
December 25, 2025 at 2:30 PM
My dad died last May. More than anything else, history was what we shared in common. As we have the first Christmas without him, I reflected on what that meant. open.substack.com/pub/patrickw...
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"The Lion in Winter" is the best Christmas movie.
December 23, 2025 at 2:01 AM
"The Lion in Winter" is the best Christmas movie.
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The bloodiest day of the Civil War shows how risk, caution, and missed chances can decide wars.
The Importance of the Battle of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam on Sept. 17, 1862, remains the deadliest one-day battle in American military history with nearly 23,000 casualties, including over
warontherocks.com
December 23, 2025 at 8:45 PM
The bloodiest day of the Civil War shows how risk, caution, and missed chances can decide wars.
One Battle After Another seems to have been PT Anderson giving himself the challenge of making a movie filled with nothing but unpleasant and pathetic characters but also Benicio del Toro being awesome on the side.
December 23, 2025 at 4:15 PM
One Battle After Another seems to have been PT Anderson giving himself the challenge of making a movie filled with nothing but unpleasant and pathetic characters but also Benicio del Toro being awesome on the side.
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Oof. Yeah, @anamariecox.bsky.social and I talked about this film nearly five years ago, and it hit so much harder than it did when it was first released (and it hit pretty hard back then). shows.acast.com/spacethenati...
December 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Oof. Yeah, @anamariecox.bsky.social and I talked about this film nearly five years ago, and it hit so much harder than it did when it was first released (and it hit pretty hard back then). shows.acast.com/spacethenati...
Good for Sam.
December 19, 2025 at 4:53 AM
Good for Sam.
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The Weimar Republic saw new musical developments - movie songs from "talkies" and innovative forms of musical theater (images from #Weimar @ulible.bsky.social). I've made a playlist of Weimar Republic music: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/i...
December 18, 2025 at 12:01 PM
The Weimar Republic saw new musical developments - movie songs from "talkies" and innovative forms of musical theater (images from #Weimar @ulible.bsky.social). I've made a playlist of Weimar Republic music: cliosboardgames.wordpress.com/2025/12/14/i...
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choosing to not understand the jewish, antisemitic twitch streamer. above my pay grade
December 17, 2025 at 8:39 PM
choosing to not understand the jewish, antisemitic twitch streamer. above my pay grade
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My favourite moment
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCX...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCX...
Captain Holt's Dentist Rant
YouTube video by Enderrye
www.youtube.com
December 16, 2025 at 9:07 PM
My favourite moment
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCX...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BCX...
The third season of The Bear seems fine?
December 16, 2025 at 2:29 AM
The third season of The Bear seems fine?
New ERB dropped.
December 12, 2025 at 6:49 PM
New ERB dropped.
I am unimpressed by the math that says to go for two when an extra point would cut the lead to 7.
December 12, 2025 at 4:15 AM
I am unimpressed by the math that says to go for two when an extra point would cut the lead to 7.
I'm late to it, but the new Superman is quite charming.
December 10, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I'm late to it, but the new Superman is quite charming.