Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 33m

This post-World War II column shows that even a genius like W.E.B. Du Bois had some terrible takes

1 10

Reposted by Zack Beauchamp

Aryeh @aryehcw.bsky.social · 11h

There are people on here who complain that NYT headlines are written to be friendly to Trump

21 76

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 22h

it's funny to me how synonymous it's become with luxury internationally (see dubai chocolate) when the reality is so disappointing. the gulf monarchies are nothing if not good at branding

3 41

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 22h

i've been to the ritzy part of dubai and, honestly? overrated. the urban landscape is ugly, for the most part, even if you're just going from fancy high rise to high rise. if you just stay at a resort, plenty of nicer non-authoritarian places to do that

2 3 71

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 23h

sadly, you couldn't have asked for better timing for this paper

2

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 1d

Whenever you find a deranged comment on X, the account bio is always something like "Pinochet didn't go far enough."

On BlueSky, it's "Dr. Associate Vice Chair at Local State U in marginalia studies, PhD"

4 46

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

That's the other thing, it's often invoked to shape current political strategy except conditions have completely changed bsky.app/profile/prex...

Prexit @prexit.bsky.social · 4d

I think it's plausible that everyone concerned about democracy was already voting for Harris, so it didn't win any undecideds over.

But that means it's more important to stress now, because your core voters care about it a lot!

1 2 17

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

Beware political consultants telling you that messaging choices in a several week time span swung an election, they are very literally selling something

1 8 48

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

I'm very tired of the "talking about democracy hurt Harris" argument.

The data marshaled to support it is not compelling, and certainly not strong enough to overturn the default story of the election — that inflation, immigration, and anti-incumbency swamped everything else

Milan Markovic @profmarkovic.bsky.social · 4d

"Our abstract appeals to democracy didn't work in the harried 2024 campaign, so there is no point talking about it now that people are experiencing authoritarian rule."

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d

I asked Chris Murphy if he privately talks to Dem colleagues about why they don't sound the alarm loudly. His answers were depressing. Dems tell him they don't want to be "alarmist" or that "democracy" didn't work in 2024, so they want to stick to health care. 5/

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

5 4 67

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

Taylor Swift albums, ranked:

12. Taylor Swift (2006)
11. Evermore (2020)
10. Reputation (2017)
9. The Tortured Poets Department (2024)
8. The Life of a Showgirl (2025)
7. Lover (2019)
6. Speak Now (2010)
5. Midnights (2022)
4. Fearless (2008)
3. Red (2012)
2. 1989 (2014)
1. Folklore (2020)

11

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

we're a long way from "the lucky one"

1

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

This piece shows the problem with treating "populism" as a unified phenomenon.

Fukuyama's internet-focused theory can't explain why it seems like *right-wing* populism has lapped the left globally. For that, you need to look at cultural causes

www.persuasion.community/p/its-the-in...

It’s the Internet, Stupid

What caused the global populist wave? Blame the screens.

www.persuasion.community

5 22

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

HUAC for the 21st century www.wired.com/story/ice-so...

ICE Wants to Build Out a 24/7 Social Media Surveillance Team

Documents show ICE plans to hire dozens of contractors to scan X, Facebook, TikTok, and other platforms to target people for deportation.

www.wired.com

2 12 30

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 4d

Unpopular opinion, but the BlueSky team is clearly in the right. Being an asshole online is never good, even (or perhaps especially) if you think it is in service of a righteous cause.

Jay 🦋 @jay.bsky.team · 5d

Harassing the mods into banning someone has never worked. And harassing people in general has never changed their mind.

8 27

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 5d

reading the interview, it really sounded like he had read the "team normal vs team abnormal" pieces...

2 16

Reposted by Zack Beauchamp

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d

@zackbeauchamp.bsky.social bait

Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 5d

Chris Murphy makes a detailed case that Trump is on the brink of meaningfully restricting the space in which the opposition can do politics, in the competitive authoritarian model of autocracies abroad.

"If we are not already there, we are really, really close." 4/

newrepublic.com/article/2013...

1 30 110

Reposted by Zack Beauchamp

Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 5d

Useful reminder here in some of the replies that people who share your politics are also capable of using them as a pretext to be awful to people and feel righteous about it bsky.app/profile/ocas...

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ocasio-cortez.house.gov · 5d

I am sickened by today’s attack in Manchester. Antisemitism is on the rise around the world, and we must do all we can to stomp it out. I am grateful to first responders and congregants who showed incredible bravery, and I am praying for those who were killed.

10 86 700

Reposted by Zack Beauchamp

Guillermo Mena @gmena.bsky.social · 6d

A must-read OpEd by @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social on why Democrats need a new shutdown strategy along similar lines to what I’ve laid out about the need for a contrasting vision.

It’s short so you should definitely read the whole thing.

www.vox.com/politics/463...

11 20

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 6d

I have had it with Democratic leadership. Their shutdown strategy is a disaster, the worst of all possible worlds.

If they want to salvage anything from this mess, they need to start talking — loudly and clearly — about fighting Trump's authoritarian takeover

www.vox.com/politics/463...

The Democrats’ shutdown strategy is terrible. Here’s a better one.

Talk less about health care, more about authoritarianism.

www.vox.com

6 17 110

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

Perfect timeline positioning (cc @dandrezner.bsky.social @daralind.bsky.social)

32

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

From AAA titles: Hades, Witcher 3, the best Zeldas (Ocarina of Time and Breath of the Wild)

1 1 6

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

www.economist.com/interactive/...

Donald Trump’s approval rating

Follow our presidential approval rating poll tracker to see how favourably Americans view Mr Trump

www.economist.com

1 4

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

yep, that's in the piece!

1 2

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

I wrote than in April, and Trump's numbers have indeed gone down since

1 3 21

Zack Beauchamp @zackbeauchamp.bsky.social · 7d

To put this more analytically, there are two kinds of Trumpist authoritarianism: a subtle Orbán model and a more brutal Bukele model.

The first one could, as I've argued, actually work in America. The second won't — and this speech fits squarely in that bucket.

www.vox.com/on-the-right...

2 18 60