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David Lay Williams

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Political science 46%
Philosophy 36%
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams

stevenpmillies.com
Greetings from the "insurrection."

Families are out in Chicago's Park Manor and Englewood neighborhoods. Crossing guards are helping children get home. It is a gorgeous fall afternoon.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
" . . . like the sorcerer who is no longer able to control the powers of the nether world whom he has called up by his spells."
Panicked Curtis Yarvin—JD Vance's guru—plans to flee USA
‘I feel that I personally have to start thinking realistically about how to flee the country.’
www.thenerdreich.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Check out @durlauf.bsky.social's fantastic new interview with @fishkin.bsky.social on the Inequality Podcast, hosted by the @ucstonecenter.bsky.social at the University of Chicago.
Joseph Fishkin on ‘Bottlenecks’ and Democracy
Podcast Episode · The Inequality Podcast · 10/06/2025 · 49m
podcasts.apple.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
It's always a good time to listen to @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social. Check out the podcast.
sgp.bsky.social
Sam Pizzigati @sgp.bsky.social · 20h
Can a society thrive when a few own everything? More to the point: Can a society survive when a few own everything? A new interview with the Belgian-Dutch philosopher Ingrid Robeyns. @equalshope.bsky.social @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social www.equals.ink/p/how-much-w...
How Much Wealth Is Too Much? Ingrid Robeyns on the Case for Limitarianism
Listen now (31 mins) | Inequality, Democracy, and the Case for Limiting Extreme Wealth.
www.equals.ink
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Ingrid Robeyns

sgp.bsky.social
Can a society thrive when a few own everything? More to the point: Can a society survive when a few own everything? A new interview with the Belgian-Dutch philosopher Ingrid Robeyns. @equalshope.bsky.social @ingridrobeyns.bsky.social www.equals.ink/p/how-much-w...
How Much Wealth Is Too Much? Ingrid Robeyns on the Case for Limitarianism
Listen now (31 mins) | Inequality, Democracy, and the Case for Limiting Extreme Wealth.
www.equals.ink
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by Anna O. Law — Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Anna O. Law

unlawfulentries.bsky.social
I just called and left a message at President Davis' office urging him as an alum (PHD in Gov 2003) not to sign the "compact" Trump is offering.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
@fishkin.bsky.social on the “compact” with American universities. Important insights here.
Balkinization: The Art of Replacing the Law with the Deal
A group blog on constitutional law, theory, and politics
balkin.blogspot.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Portuguese transcript of my recent interview with the good folks at @synesisideas.bsky.social.
synesisideas.bsky.social
Synesis: History of Ideas! Podcast @synesisideas.bsky.social · 3d
A entrevista com @laywilliams.bsky.social agora está disponível em Português para Brasileiros e Portugueses que prefiram!

open.substack.com/pub/synesish...
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Don't even get me started on their metaphysics!
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Kori Schake, Anna O. Law , and 22 more

govpritzker.illinois.gov
This morning, the Trump Administration’s Department of War gave me an ultimatum: call up your troops, or we will. It is absolutely outrageous and un-American to demand a Governor send military troops within our own borders and against our will.
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams

synesisideas.bsky.social
A entrevista com @laywilliams.bsky.social agora está disponível em Português para Brasileiros e Portugueses que prefiram!

open.substack.com/pub/synesish...

by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
No respectable philosopher past or present, to my knowledge, has ever thought it a good thing for a single person to be so rich as to mandate the policies of nine universities simultaneously.
The Billionaire Behind Trump’s Deal for Universities
www.nytimes.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Fellow @utaustin.bsky.social alumni: please consider calling the president's office and sharing your thoughts about the "compact." Phone: 512-471-1232. Share broadly. There are a lot of us.
UT official "honored" to receive Trump's university demands
The Trump administration seeks to cap international student enrollment, among other things.
www.axios.com

by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
I would only add here, I think there are two kinds of religious people -- those whose religion is a source of humility and kindness, and those who seek religion to authorize their cruelty. Not for me to say who is who, but I think we can learn a lot about people in how their religion functions.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
So interestingly, Douglass observes that the most religious slave owners are the worst offenders. Having worked themselves up in knots to persuade themselves of the righteousness of slavery, they take the greatest zeal in their cruelty.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Sharp analysis from @fishkin.bsky.social
fishkin.bsky.social
Joey Fishkin @fishkin.bsky.social · 5d
The "compact" is a threat, with the administration explicitly stating that it plans to disfavor universities that don't sign in areas from foreign student visas, student loans, federal contracts as well as grants, and even tax [501(c)(3)] status.

It's a maximalist plan of 1st Amendment violation.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Did not work out for the Corcyrans.
1

by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Wonderful -- so delighted to learn you are reading and enjoying it! Indeed, our problems aren't new.
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by David Lay Williams — Reposted by: Nathan P. Kalmoe

laywilliams.bsky.social
From Frederick Douglass’s Narrative. It’s full of passages like this. I’m thinking increasingly about the joy in which some take in inflicting pain and misery on others as a sense of domination. And I fear it explains so much.
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Laurent Pech, Alan Richardson , and 3 more

fishkin.bsky.social
The "compact" is a threat, with the administration explicitly stating that it plans to disfavor universities that don't sign in areas from foreign student visas, student loans, federal contracts as well as grants, and even tax [501(c)(3)] status.

It's a maximalist plan of 1st Amendment violation.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
9 170 400

by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Students holding me 15 minutes after class to go through Plato's simile of the divided line is exactly why I do this.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
gross
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
ugh
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
AI ("Actual Intelligence") I can get behind.
merriam-webster.com
Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 6d
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
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Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Peter Thorne , and 30 more

merriam-webster.com
We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.
650 8.2K 25K

Reposted by: David Lay Williams, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

ips-dc.org
NEW: Since 2010, some 14% of our country's billionaires have pledged to give away at least half of their wealth. Instead, most of them have collectively grown far, far richer, IPS @inequality.org researchers found.

IPS scholar @bdevaan.bsky.social on @katiecouric.bsky.social:
Billionaires Promised to Give Wealth Away — So Why Are They Richer Than Ever?
Even the billionaires who’ve promised to donate their wealth can’t seem to make a dent in it.
katiecouric.com
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
Someone had to. Glad it was you, Jonathan. Will sleep well tonight.

by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
We’ll learn about that when the Board meets next.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
My university lost 700 international students.
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by David Lay Williams

laywilliams.bsky.social
I feel for you Jarrett, as I’ve been through the hard times like you. But as someone who is old enough to have watched every pitch of 1986, I can assure you that if we ever do win again it will be glorious. Hang in there.
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