Reposted by Aidan MilliffJonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 27/08/2026Makes sense. Because we’ve clearly already solved all of humanity’s problems with our governments, economies, and social structures. 0398
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 25/08/2026RIP Dolly. This album was not literally stuck in the tape deck of my dad's truck, but it might as well have been. One of my favorites since I was a kid. www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HMw...youtube.comWildflowers (2015 Remaster)YouTube video by Dolly Parton - Topic 020
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 20/08/2026Prospective PhD Students (PoliSci, U.S. programs): You *do not need to contact faculty in advance*. If you decide to ignore my advice, at least contact them yourself!! Having a consultant cold-email faculty on your behalf *will not help you gain admission.*static.klipy.comMan with Headache HangoverALT: Man with Headache Hangover 352
Reposted by Aidan MilliffDan Garisto @dangaristo.bsky.social · 20/08/2026Finally, this has gone a bit under the radar, so I want to highlight it: The social, behavioral and economic sciences directorate (SBE) has simply ceased to deliver grants to many of its subareas. Any topic not specifically OK'd by the Trump administration is receiving zero new awards. 6422226
Reposted by Aidan MilliffAlex Coppock @aecoppock.bsky.social · 12/08/2026Northwestern is hiring in quant methods (assistant level, tenure track) Please repost and share with those you think would be good candidates, thank you! polisci.northwestern.edu/about/facult... #psjobs #psjminfo #poliscijobs 04133
Reposted by Aidan MilliffNoah Nathan @nlnathan.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Working on this paper was so fun! Excited that it's now out in the world and I hope you can check it out. It builds on broader agendas on the built environment and how space structures social contact from both Paige and I, w/ more info here: paigebollen.com and nlnathan.mit.edupaigebollen.comPaige Bollen 0165
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 07/07/2026I have an unbeatable idea for a PR firm. You pay me $1,000/mo and if Isaac Chotiner calls you, I slap the phone out of your hand. 070
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 01/07/2026Very cool looking new NBER paper from @mushfiq-econ.bsky.social and Sultan Mehmood on one of the most transformative natural disasters in the history of modern South Asia www.nber.org/papers/w35360nber.orgHow Climate Shocks Produce Armed Rebellion: The 1970 Bhola Cyclone and the Birth of BangladeshFounded in 1920, the NBER is a private, non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to conducting economic research and to disseminating research findings among academics, public policy makers, an... 020
Reposted by Aidan MilliffSean Ehrlich @seandehrlich.bsky.social · 12/06/2026Now that we’re well into summer, I think it’s time to announce here FSU’s polisci dept’s hiring last year. (I meant to do at the end of the year but forgot.) First up, James Gibson, previously of WashU, will be joining us in the fall as the Regent’s Research Professor. This is a huge coup for us. 1125
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 11/06/2026New policy piece on our @bjpols.bsky.social paper with Paolo Bertolotti, Ali Jadbabaie, and Fotini Christia. What do drone strikes do to civilians nearby? The non-lethal effects are larger than advertised irregularwarfare.org/hidden-costs-of-precision-what-drone-strikes-actually-do-to-civiliansirregularwarfare.orgHidden Costs of Precision: What Drone Strikes Actually Do to CiviliansNew research using cellphone data from Yemen reveals that U.S. drone strikes cause widespread civilian displacement and communication spikes, even when avoiding casualties. These non-lethal disruption... 0104
Reposted by Aidan MilliffJacob Ware @jacobware.bsky.social · 11/06/2026"The non-lethal effects of drone strikes have substantial humanitarian and political costs." We are proud to highlight some outstanding new research on drone strikes by @aidanmilliff.com, Paolo Bertolotti, Fotini Christia, and Ali Jadbabaie at IWI.irregularwarfare.orgHidden Costs of Precision: What Drone Strikes Actually Do to CiviliansNew research using cellphone data from Yemen reveals that U.S. drone strikes cause widespread civilian displacement and communication spikes, even when avoiding casualties. These non-lethal disruption... 063
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 10/06/2026I also took the opportunity to write more about one of our puzzling findings: Why do we see so much regional variation in Indians' foreign policy attitudes? I toss out some ideas in this blog post: aidanmilliff.com/blog/indian-...aidanmilliff.comPartisanship, Region, and Variation in Indian Public Opinion – Aidan MilliffWhat our new Cambridge Element reveals about how public opinion varies across India’s regions. 020
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 10/06/2026@pstaniland.bsky.social I appeared on Grand Tamasha 🎙️ with @milanv.bsky.social to discuss our new book on Indian public opinion. Check out the episode here: grand-tamasha.simplecast.com/episodes/wha... And the book is free to download until June 15: doi.org/10.1017/9781... 054
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 15/05/2026New research in Science from @dominic-rohner.bsky.social and others: USAID cuts caused violent conflict to spike immediately in areas that received the most USAID support and last for months. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...science.orgAiding peace or conflict? The impact of USAID cuts on violenceLess than a week after its inauguration, the second Trump administration issued a blanket stop-work order for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the largest national human... 1105
Reposted by Aidan MilliffInstituto Juan Linz @institute-juanlinz.bsky.social · 29/04/2026📣 The Department of Social Sciences at Universidad Carlos III is recruiting for a fixed-term 2-year position in Political Science. This is a two-year opportunity to conduct research, teach, and and collaborate in a vibrant and interdisciplinary academic environment. More info: lnkd.in/eyVbmPRJlinkedin.comVisiting Professor in the area of Political Science | UC3M | Social Sciences Department UC3M📣 The Department of Social Sciences at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is recruiting a Visiting Professor in Political Science to join its international faculty. This is a two-year opportunity to te... 0815
Reposted by Aidan MilliffAidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 05/05/2026Book Alert! @pstaniland.bsky.social and I have a new Cambridge Element out now — and free to download through May 18. It's the result of nine years of digging through historic survey data on how the Indian public thinks about major powers. Read it here: www.cambridge.org/core/element... 12313
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 05/05/2026Book Alert! @pstaniland.bsky.social and I have a new Cambridge Element out now — and free to download through May 18. It's the result of nine years of digging through historic survey data on how the Indian public thinks about major powers. Read it here: www.cambridge.org/core/element... 12313
Reposted by Aidan MilliffPaul Staniland @pstaniland.bsky.social · 05/05/2026New book! @aidanmilliff.com and I spent years tracking down survey data from the late 1950s-2025 on how the Indian public has viewed China, the US, and Russia/USSR. We use the data to explore trends and patterns. Cambridge has made it Open Access until 5/18, so go read for free here: t.co/YtNCz74758 1134
Reposted by Aidan MilliffAlyssa Heinze @alyssarheinze.bsky.social · 28/04/2026We are organizing a pre-conference workshop at EPSS on the Politics of South Asia. To present, discuss, or attend, please submit your info by May 13th: forms.gle/pXaKtTLifJAY... Please circulate widely! If questions, contact me, @aliz-toth.bsky.social or @simonchauchard.bsky.social! 21312
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 13/04/2026Watching this made me so unbelievably happy. Wout is one of the best characters in professional sports. 010
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 07/04/2026Operation Names can also be used for peaceful purposes. aidanmilliff.com/post/project...aidanmilliff.comProject Name Generator | Aidan MilliffDevelop secret code names for your projects, just like the pros (claim to)! 120
Reposted by Aidan MilliffWill Lowe @conjugateprior.org · 04/04/2026Now is the time for posting thoughtful discussions of the role of LLMs in academia. I don't have one of those. But Machiavelli does. 1175
Reposted by Aidan MilliffJudah Grunstein @judah-grunstein.bsky.social · 04/04/2026It would be useful if the NYT explicitly stated that the pilot, if captured, would be a POW, that there are laws governing how POWs can be treated, that respect for international law on war shapes how the enemy approaches it, and this is why the US conduct of this illegal war has been so dangerous.nytimes.comMissing Airman Raises Concerns That Iran Could Gain Leverage Over the U.S. 16850991380
Reposted by Aidan MilliffBob Kopp @bobkopp.net · 04/04/2026If I read this reporting correctly, NSF is preparing to shut down SBE (social, behavioral, economic sciences) *in anticipation* of the FY27 budget, despite Congressional instructions that no directorate receive more than a 5% cut in FY26. 24020
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 31/03/2026Destroying civilian infrastructure in war is wrong, and probably against the Law of Armed Conflict www.nytimes.com/2026/03/30/o...nytimes.comOpinion | America Is Abandoning Morality 041
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 30/03/2026Astute point in the linked paper (Hathaway with @azmatzahra.bsky.social) about "mistakes" in war: If you don't change procedures to prevent them from happening again, in what way are they really "mistakes"? 032
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 26/03/2026Me after I vibecoded a task manager that just eats tasks. 010
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 25/03/2026TBH people are taken aback by how much a *political science* grad degree is "I Hope You Like Matrices." I turned out to really dig it, but I don't think I knew what I was signing up for... 140
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 23/03/2026Intentionally targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime in *some* cases. Russian officials were indicted by the ICC in 2024 for strikes targeting Ukraine's electrical grid ysph.yale.edu/news-article... 100
Reposted by Aidan MilliffGarrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 22/03/2026Astonishing. The goal of our war is now to undo the effect of the war we started. Gosh, if only we could rewind to, say, four weeks ago when the Strait of Hormuz was open and normal! 8639491102
Reposted by Aidan MilliffDare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 19/03/2026Just a year ago, we heard reducing the deficit was so important Elon Musk had to fire as many scientists, forest rangers and Black women on the government’s payroll that he could find. Now? 🤷🏾♂️ 8345851769
Reposted by Aidan MilliffWesley Morgan @wesleymorgan.bsky.social · 19/03/2026The peak annual supplemental for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan was the $196 billion the Bush admin requested in 2008 as the Iraq surge wound down and Afg ramped up. The two Iraq supplementals in 2003, the year of the invasion, added up to $167B. (Invasion one alone was $79B.) 47026
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 19/03/2026Good reminder for Iran today from Steve Coll’s The Achilles Trap: Betting on “self regime change” is something the U.S. has done before, and lost. 041
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 14/03/2026Good thread. MEU is a very small unit in ground combat terms but a kind of big unit to pull out of the Western Pacific 011
Reposted by Aidan MilliffRory Truex @rorytruex.bsky.social · 12/03/2026open.spotify.com/episode/1GU9...open.spotify.comBonus Episode: The Prospects for Democracy in Iran | Daniel Tavana, Penn State UniversitySpotify video 101
Reposted by Aidan MilliffThe Associated Press @apnews.com · 12/03/2026BREAKING: The UN refugee agency says up to 3.2 million people in Iran have been displaced by the ongoing war. Follow AP’s live updates.bit.lyLive updates: Oil price tops $100 a barrel as Iran attacks on shipping worsen supply concernsIran targeted the world’s busiest international airport Wednesday and attacked commercial ships as U.S. and Israeli strikes rocked Tehran, while the United Nations' most powerful body demanded a halt to the Islamic Republic’s strikes on its Gulf neighbors that threaten global oil supplies. 11423258
Reposted by Aidan MilliffElizabeth N. Saunders @profsaunders.bsky.social · 11/03/2026They could have read (yes, I know) this piece by @proftalmadge.bsky.social from [checks notes] *2008* entitled “Closing Time: Assessing the Iranian Threat to the Strait of Hormuz”! www.caitlintalmadge.com/uploads/8/5/4/1/85419560/closing_time.pdfcaitlintalmadge.com 24013
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 10/03/2026Hey man, none of us signed up for this. 700k displaced by strikes in Lebanon: www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03... Pentagon says 140 service members injured in Iran war: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/w...nytimes.comPentagon Says 140 Service Members Have Been Injured in Iran War 000
Aidan Milliff @aidanmilliff.com · 10/03/2026Apropos of nothing, here's a campaign analysis from 2008 by @proftalmadge.bsky.social www.belfercenter.org/publication/...belfercenter.orgClosing Time: Assessing the Iranian Threat to the Strait of HormuzHow might Iran retaliate in the aftermath of a limited Israeli or U.S. strike? The most economically devastating of Iran's potential responses would be closure of the Strait of Hormuz. According to op... 110
Reposted by Aidan MilliffPhil Klay @philklay.bsky.social · 08/03/2026“Our government is treating the suffering of the Iranian people as a backdrop for our own entertainment, as if it’s just another piece of content to be swiped through …But we lose our humanity when we are thrilled by the destructive power of our military.” www.archchicago.org/en/statement... 1324
Reposted by Aidan MilliffCaitlin Talmadge @proftalmadge.bsky.social · 09/03/2026The aspect of this war that reminds me most of operations in Iraq is the part where we're conducting operations in Iraq. 👀 www.wsj.com/world/middle...wsj.comIraq Becomes Battleground for U.S. Forces Once AgainThe U.S. is targeting militias that have carried out dozens of attacks in a show of support for Iran. 1141
Reposted by Aidan MilliffSharon 🪳🌹 @sharonk.bsky.social · 05/03/2026How Congress politicians in India are discussing the boat strike (the guy she's citing is of India's most decorated GOFOs): 643255
![CHAPTER XXIII.
HOW FLATTERERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED
I do not wish to leave out an important branch of this subject, for it is a danger from which princes are with difficulty preserved, unless they are very careful and discriminating. It is that of flatterers, of whom courts are full, because men are so self-complacent in their own attairs, and in a way so deceived in them, that they are preserved with difficulty from this pest, and if they wish to defend themselves they run the danger of falling into contempt. Because there is no other way of guarding oneself from flatterers except letting men understand that to tell you the truth does not offend you; but when every one may tell you the truth, respect for you abates.
Therefore a wise prince ought to hold a third course by choosing the wise men in his state, and giving to them only the liberty of speaking the truth to him, and then only of those things of which he inquires, and of none others; but he ought to question them upon everything, and listen to their opinions, and afterwards form his own conclusions. With these councillors, separately and collectively, he ought to carry himself in such a way that each of them should know that, the more freely he shall speak, the more he shall be preferred; outside of these, he should listen to no one, pursue the thing resolved on, and be steadfast in his resolutions. He who does otherwise is either overthrown by flatterers, or is so often changed by varying opinions that he falls into contempt.
[...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tz2mbeciygifilnnojl5j7im/bafkreiedzh752vzz6pr2w5bg4x4secxl6v2csogeypna7pxuqx2gs65ese)
![Quote from The Achilles Trap by Steve Coll
Bush administration planners considered an insider coup carried out by military officers to be most likely and most desirable—a quick change of regime that would leave Iraq in the hands of a more manageable strongman. “We made some very overoptimistic assumptions,” recalled David Mack, then at the State Department. “We assumed the chances were great” that military officers would move against Saddam.[19] C.I.A. analysts judged the revolt that spread across the south in early March to be Saddam Hussein’s “most serious political challenge in more than twenty years of power.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:r33rtlo32e2vjtunzxdizoi4/bafkreib25swcyme6zr6petosu2lyrv5opuai7h6slto4lwifopd3z2qcwu)
