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Brendon O'Connor

@brendonoconnor.bsky.social
62 followers 29 following 128 posts

US Politics and Foreign Relations Professor at the University of Sydney. Cricket and post-punk follower. Novel reader and food safarist.

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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.abc.net.au/religion/mid...
abc.net.au
In Dallas, Donald Trump’s dominance and detachment from reality were on display - ABC Religion & Ethics
Last week’s mid-term convention highlighted both Trump’s total dominion over the Republican Party, and the fact that the US president lives in a fantasy land where facts don’t matter.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
TV Meets Fruit Machine www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
lrb.co.uk
William Davies · TV Meets Fruit Machine: Faragist TikTok
In my own For You journey into Faragism, I was struck by the recurring assumption that the ultimate prize was exit of...
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Important to read and a great piece of bracing journalism open.substack.com/pub/owenjone...
open.substack.com
The 9/11 wars were a bigger crime than you think
9/11 was a terrible crime. What followed was the crime of the century
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
This is very concerning: Why the Hugging Face Hack Should Make You Worry More About A.I. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/t...
nytimes.com
Why the Hugging Face Hack Should Make You Worry More About A.I.
The attack by an aggressive “collective” of OpenAI agents shows the danger of artificial intelligence systems that organize themselves.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Appalling: prospect.org/2026/08/31/w...
prospect.org
‘What America Did to Me Is Wrong’: Inside One of the Largest Third-Country Removal Flights So Far - The American Prospect
On July 31, an estimated 71 detainees were expelled to various countries on a hellish flight to Africa. Many were then illegally returned to their home countries.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
‘A Blatant and Gargantuan Conflict of Interest’ www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | ‘A Blatant and Gargantuan Conflict of Interest’
The Trump family’s crypto business exemplifies all of the sleaziest aspects of the president’s code of conduct.
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Reposted by Brendon O'Connor
Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Thanks for this thoughtful piece @brendonoconnor.bsky.social
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I’m a Psychiatrist. I’m Hearing Something New From Young Women. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/18/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | How to Find Your Daughter’s Therapy-Speak Less Traumatizing
Step 1: Take it seriously, not literally.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Here is an essay I wrote for The Metropolitan Review on the novels of Hari Kunzru: metropolitanreview.com/revolutionar...
metropolitanreview.com
Revolutionary Blues: On the Novels of Hari Kunzru - The Metropolitan Review
For some of us avid readers, the joy of reading novels is nearly matched by the pleasure of recommending them to our most simpatico friends. Thoughtful criticism can play this role writ large. I can s...
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Israel’s migration statistics The exodus from Israel giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The exodus from Israel
Immigration is at the heart of the country’s self-image. But people have been leaving
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Abbas fought the Taliban alongside US and Australian troops. Now exiled in Iran, he feels abandoned www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Abbas fought the Taliban alongside US and Australian troops. Now exiled in Iran, he feels abandoned
Five years after the fall of Kabul, the former Afghan soldier is stuck in the middle of a new American war
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Cool article about the precise use of words www.smh.com.au/national/the...
smh.com.au
There’s no getting around it: We need to talk about this irksome word
Do you say “about” or “around”? Trust me: it matters.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
If You Weren’t Worried About A.I., You Should Be After the Past Few Weeks www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | If You Weren’t Worried About A.I., You Should Be After the Past Few Weeks
If there was ever a time to consider halting development of A.I., it’s now.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Here is my take on Muskism: www.abc.net.au/religion/mus...
abc.net.au
Muskism isn’t just post-Fordist, it’s post-humanist - ABC Religion & Ethics
A new book by Quinn Slobodian and Ben Tarnoff explains why Elon Musk has increasingly chosen to use his wealth and power to advance far-right politics and why he advocates accelerating the integration...
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I wrote this article a while back on Punk, Fascism and Trump: www.abc.net.au/religion/the...
abc.net.au
Theatricality and threat: Is Donald Trump a fascist? - ABC Religion & Ethics
It can be hard to take Trump’s antics seriously. But just because his fascism is delivered with a voice, fake tan and coiffed hairstyle that are easily satirised, we should not treat him as less dange...
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Guns and bulletproof vests: How federal agents arrested Fauci aide
David Morens, 78, was stripped and handcuffed for email violations
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
What is punk? This guy has a definitioin. www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/a...
theguardian.com
John Cameron Mitchell: ‘It’s punk to turn off your phone – you’re walking away from the herd’
The writer, director and star of Hedwig and the Angry Inch on turning down David Bowie, falling off a Broadway stage, and a cringeworthy moment with Nicole Kidman
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
The Architecture of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/04/g...
foreignpolicy.com
The Architecture of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza
A new book describes the destruction of Palestinian life street by street.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
What Everyone Is Missing About Ceuta foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/06/c...
foreignpolicy.com
What Everyone Is Missing About Ceuta
The history of the disputed exclave should inform what Spain does next.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
newleftreview.org/sidecar/post...
newleftreview.org
Anatol Lieven, Mutual Delusion — Sidecar
The war in Ukraine.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Crazy story! Inside a meme factory: meet one of thousands of Indonesians trading political outrage clicks for Facebook cash www.theguardian.com/media/2026/a...
theguardian.com
Inside a meme factory: meet one of thousands of Indonesians trading political outrage clicks for Facebook cash
Exclusive: Adira says she doesn’t know much about her target countries or even know who their leaders are. Instead she’s chasing money from Meta, which pays for engagement
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
This is worth reading on US-China tech rivalry: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
The Future, Made in China
Beijing is competing with the U.S. for tech supremacy. Who wins will have huge political implications.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Are Trump’s most blatant authoritarian moves backfiring? www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Are Trump’s most blatant authoritarian moves backfiring? | Jan-Werner Müller
The president’s methods, from ‘flooding the zone’ with scandals to prioritizing loyalty over competence, could ultimately weaken rather than strengthen him
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...
theatlantic.com
How Netanyahu Lost America
The prime minister, a self-styled expert on the U.S., has shattered his country’s standing.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Why Do We Tolerate Elon Musk’s Racist Commentary? www.nytimes.com/2026/07/29/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Why Do We Tolerate Elon Musk’s Racist Commentary?
Why does the owner of X get a pass for what he says and does there?
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Clear discussion of foreign policy today. Good overview open.spotify.com/episode/0e1B...
open.spotify.com
‘Ask Me Anything’—the Iran War Edition
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Trump Holds the American People in Total Contempt www.nytimes.com/2026/04/22/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump Holds the American People in Total Contempt
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Excellent overview of the craziest nonsense that is now powerful and taken seriously! open.spotify.com/episode/7Dmt...
open.spotify.com
Spotify – Web Player
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
This article on the far-right groypers is insightful: www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
How the Internet Fringe Infiltrated Republican Politics
Inside the battle for the post-MAGA G.O.P.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo www.nytimes.com/2026/04/21/w...
nytimes.com
Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
Such an important decision and Trump’s inner circle expressed little support for war: How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/u...
nytimes.com
How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals. Autocrats Are Ready to Listen. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/04/w...
nytimes.com
Trump Wants to Make Deportation Deals. Autocrats Are Ready to Listen.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Prominent Climate Scientist Resigns From NASA, Citing Trump’s Attack on Science www.nytimes.com/2026/03/25/c...
nytimes.com
Prominent Climate Scientist Resigns From NASA, Citing Trump’s Attack on Science
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 18/03/2026
This is well worth listening to: open.spotify.com/episode/2TIm...
open.spotify.com
Pete Hegseth’s Holy War
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Reposted by Brendon O'Connor
Paul Waldman @paulwaldman.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
I wrote about it! www.ms.now/opinion/oil-...
ms.now
Opinion | With oil prices spiking, Trump's policies curbing electric vehicles look even worse
Paul Waldman: Because of Trump, there are fewer drivers of electric vehicles on our roads
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
What was Doge? How Elon Musk tried to gamify government www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...
theguardian.com
What was Doge? How Elon Musk tried to gamify government
The long read: Steeped in gaming and rightwing culture wars, Musk and his team of teenage coders set out to defeat the enemy of the United States: its people
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
Explainer: What is the "liberal international order" www.gmfus.org/news/what-li...
gmfus.org
What is the Liberal International Order?
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
For those interested in arguments about the liberal world order and the "Westphalian system-sovereignty" this is a rather maximalist position: www.proquest.com/docview/8635...
proquest.com
The Future of the Liberal World Order: - ProQuest
Explore millions of resources from scholarly journals, books, newspapers, videos and more, on the ProQuest Platform.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 12/03/2026
The Unmaking of the American University Fascinating piece The Unmaking of the American University www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
The Unmaking of the American University
For decades, research universities have relied on federal funding, with no guarantee that it will last. Now their survival may depend on compliance with the government.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Trump’s ‘quasi-dove’ era is over. Iran strikes expose his hawkish turn www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Trump’s ‘quasi-dove’ era is over. Iran strikes expose his hawkish turn
Deploying the world’s most powerful military seems to exert an almost erotic fascination for Donald Trump
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Reposted by Brendon O'Connor
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 10/03/2026
Mangled missile fragments purporting to be from the deadly strikes that hit a naval base and elementary school in southern Iran on Feb. 28 bear the markings of an American cruise missile, according to an analysis by The New York Times.
nyti.ms
Missile in Deadly Iranian School Strike Appears to Be U.S.-Made, Photos Taken by Iran Show
Iranian state media posted mangled remnants it claims were from the Feb. 28 attack in Minab. An analysis shows they have the markings of a missile made by American manufacturers
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Trump’s Smash-and-Grab Presidency Reaches New Heights www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Trump’s Smash-and-Grab Presidency Reaches New Heights
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
The Christian Nationalist dimension to the war against Iran open.substack.com/pub/jonathan...
open.substack.com
U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus
Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Good overview of the war against Iran and why Australia’s support should be questioned open.spotify.com/episode/0u0V...
open.spotify.com
The US Israel Strike on Iran
Spotify video
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Good overview of the US approach to Iran open.spotify.com/episode/0OVv...
open.spotify.com
The Washington Roundtable on the Iran War
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Reports on defending war criminals Turning a Blind Eye to War Crimes www.newyorker.com/news/news-de...
newyorker.com
Turning a Blind Eye to War Crimes
A second Trump Administration could give impunity to American soldiers who commit atrocities.
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Background article on the Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Secret History www.newyorker.com/news/news-de...
newyorker.com
Pete Hegseth’s Secret History
A whistle-blower report and other documents suggest that Trump’s nominee to run the Pentagon was forced out of previous leadership positions for financial mismanagement, sexist behavior, and being rep...
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Recent U.S. Assessment Found an Attack on Iran Unlikely to Result in Regime Change www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/w...
nytimes.com
Recent U.S. Assessment Found an Attack on Iran Unlikely to Result in Regime Change
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 04/03/2026
Trump Tries to Quiet Claims Among Supporters That Israel Dragged Him Into War www.nytimes.com/2026/03/03/u...
nytimes.com
Trump Tries to Quiet Claims Among Supporters That Israel Dragged Him Into War
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Brendon O'Connor @brendonoconnor.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
This is an interesting take on the War against Iran www.forever-wars.com/interceptors...
forever-wars.com
Interceptors Versus Missiles: The Iran War's Wrath of The Math
A theory of Iranian strategy. PLUS: Me, Chris Hayes and Ayman Mohyeldin on the war's politics
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