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Manfred Elfstrom

@manfrede.bsky.social
1.7K followers 1.9K following 151 posts

Associate Professor of Political Science at University of British Columbia. Researching China, social movements, labor, authoritarianism. Author of "Workers and Change in China." He/him. Website: manfredelfstrom.com

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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hahaha. From the NYT: “Mr. Trump called the Chinese leader ‘an expert on stone’ who ‘loves good granite’ as Mr. Xi stood by without changing his expression.” What a time to be alive. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/u...
nytimes.com
For His Ballroom, Trump Has Pointed to the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
President Trump has repeatedly cited the Great Hall of the People in Beijing as inspiration and competition with his own design.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
The transformation of Ortega into a copy of the old Samoza regime is something… podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/g...
podcasts.apple.com
UN accuses Nicaragua of crimes against humanity
Podcast Episode · Global News Podcast · September 22 · 28m
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Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani @mayor.nyc.gov · 22/09/2026
DoorDash has ripped off more than 260,000 NYC delivery workers. We’re making them pay $131.5 million — the largest worker settlement in City history. This is New York, where hard work pays and greed will cost you.
DoorDash messed up.
They repeatedly left more than 260,000 NYC delivery workers underpaid or paid late, causing them immense stress and financial difficulty.
That's unacceptable.
We've secured a $131.5M settlement from
DoorDash - the largest worker settlement in NYC history and largest delivery worker settlement in
American municipal history.
Every worker will be paid what they are owed, and every company will be forced to abide by the laws of this city.

LOGOS:
The OFFICE of the MAYOR of NYC
NYC Consumer and Worker Protection Mayor Mamdani and Deliveristas representatives stand behind a podium.Mayor Mamdani signs a giant check.Three delivery workers holding a giant fake check for $131.5M.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
The government better not intervene in ANOTHER labor dispute to force people back to work. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...
cbc.ca
Travellers face possible WestJet labour disruption ahead of B.C. Day long weekend
WestJet flight attendants could go on strike as early as August 2. The union representing 4,400 cabin crew says it has issued a 72-hour strike notice. That was quickly followed by the airline giving 7...
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Taiwan: Stop union busting at TaiDoc www.labourstartcampaigns.net/show_campaig...
labourstartcampaigns.net
Taiwan: Stop union busting at TaiDoc
Please support this LabourStart urgent action campaign and spread the word.
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Turquoise Roof @turquoiseroof.org · 22/07/2026
A sobering report on Lobga Rangzen’s death, and what it reveals about the desperation felt by many #Tibetans as repression intensifies & international attention fades. thediplomat.com/2026/07/why-...
thediplomat.com
Why a Tibetan Protester Set Himself on Fire Outside the United Nations
Loga Rangzen’s self-immolation was intended to force Tibet back onto the international agenda. Instead, it exposed the challenges Tibetans face amid China’s growing global influence.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
This is a real predicament. In the long-term, China faces a demographic crunch with fewer and fewer young workers. Xi is prioritizing higher-end manufacturing and pursuing a German rather than U.S. model. At the same time... there are workers who need jobs NOW. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/11/w...
nytimes.com
‘They Don’t Need People’: The Workers Left Behind by China’s Robot Drive
For out-of-work factory workers in Kunshan, a region made rich by electronics manufacturing, a park is the only place to go.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Just visited the Vermont History Museum in Montpelier. Highly recommended.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Anita Chan and I on the causes of poor working conditions for Chinese workers on BRI project sites. #China #BRI #Labor www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Use and Abuse of Chinese Workers Recruited for Belt and Road Projects Abroad
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is the subject of considerable debate. However, relatively little attention has been devoted to the reasons why Chinese state-owned enterprises involved in the init...
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Abigail Ververda and my paper on coal and collective action in Appalachia is finally out and open access. In the paper, we use a new dataset of 1,525 strikes, protests, petitions, and lawsuits in WV to test several arguments about what tactics "work" in coal-related disputes. #contentiousky
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Really cool to see people start moving into these apartments now. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/15/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | One City Might Have Just Cracked the Housing Crisis
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Anne Trubek @atrubek.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
THRILLED to announce this book by @jaykaydee.bsky.social, coming from @beltpublishing.bsky.social in February. Cover by @downpourdw.bsky.social
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
My oldster take on #Chinamaxxing and what meaningful progressive engagement with China looks like. foreignpolicy.com/2026/06/10/p...
foreignpolicy.com
Progressives Should Show Real Solidarity With China
Don’t let Chinamaxxing come at the expense of meaningful engagement with Chinese workers and activists.
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Niao Collective @niaocollective.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
The classic ‘tank man’ photo is a close up but when you zoom out, the image - and what it represents- is even more poignant.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Sign this petition to save Kelowna's rail trail. c.org/xq76YwKttX
c.org
Sign the Petition
Save the Rail Trail Greenspace
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Absolutely horrible news. China has improved its mine safety a lot over the last couple decades. Still, this mine reportedly had been cited already for problems. www.cbc.ca/news/world/g...
cbc.ca
Death toll from gas explosion at coal mine in China jumps to 90 | CBC News
Chinese President Xi Jinping called for ​authorities to "spare no effort" in treating the injured and conducting search-and-rescue ‌operations.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 16/05/2026
The biologist under fire seems like an exceptionally principled person. www.nature.com/articles/d41...
nature.com
US biology lab locked down for more than a week amid smuggling inquiry
The Trump administration has spent months investigating the lab after a Chinese postdoc was charged with smuggling biological material into the country.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Encouraging development. Of course, it remains to be seen whether other courts in China follow suit and what creative workarounds companies invent. The attitudes of local governments will also be important. www.caixinglobal.com/2026-04-30/c...
caixinglobal.com
Chinese Courts Rule Companies Cannot Fire Workers Simply to Replace Them With AI
Judges classify AI adoption as a controllable business strategy rather than an unavoidable disruption, shielding employees from automation-driven layoffs
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Exactly. This echoes the dynamic that Victor Shih describes in the context of Chinese politics: autocrats have good reasons to surround themselves with incompetent underlings. www.cambridge.org/core/books/c...
cambridge.org
Coalitions of the Weak
Cambridge Core - Comparative Politics - Coalitions of the Weak
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
An absolutely masterful take-down of a couple clumsy apologists for China’s repression in Xinjiang. This is how you do it! tempestmag.org/2026/04/dism...
tempestmag.org
Dismissing China’s repression in Xinjiang
Vijay Prashad and Tings Chak recently defended China’s policy toward ethnic Uyghurs in Xinjiang. David Brophy exposes the weakness of their case.
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Olga Nesterova @onestpress.onestnetwork.com · 13/04/2026
Hungarians are singing ‘We Are The Champions’ in celebration of the landslide victory of Peter Magyar
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
@joshtpm.bsky.social's trenchant take on DoD budget: "It is a huge reorientation of the entire federal government from being a modern government, focused primarily on supporting and protecting its citizens, to one focused on, and built for, force and violence." talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/the-n...
talkingpointsmemo.com
The New Defense Budget
We need to talk about the president’s 2027 proposed defense budget. It’s...
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Reposted by Manfred Elfstrom
Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 07/04/2026
Please call your US rep and senators. Yes, I know it can feel like screaming into a black hole. Still. Call them NOW. reps.fyi 202-224-3121
Typewritten text on blue lined paper: 

"A whole civilization will die, never to be brought back again."  Trump just threatened genocide against Iran.  Call your US rep and senators and tell them to do everything they can to stop this. I don't care if they're in the minority. Tell them to chain themselves to the White House gates, something, ANYTHING.  Find your reps at reps.fyi.  Call NOW, friends.  God help us all.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/04/2026
We are already at the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Tiananmen incident, a protest that was suppressed, then legitimated by the Party.
Protesters gather flowers in memory of Zhou Enlai during the 1976 Tiananmen Incident.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
I think this is the best outcome? Definitely better to have someone who sparks excitement as a leader than someone you just imagine others will be OK with. I hope Lewis recognizes the urgency of repairing ties to western party activists, though. www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...
theglobeandmail.com
Federal NDP elect filmmaker Avi Lewis as new leader
Lewis, who was considered the front-runner in the contest, takes over leadership in a period of turbulence for the party
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 22/03/2026
Just saw Josh Ritter play a solo set in my little corner of Canada. Still remember him as the fourth-year folk singer heartthrob when I was a freshman in college.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Check out our AAS panel: "Class and Contentious Politics in China" cdmcd.co/mR5ZGn #AAS2026
cdmcd.co
2026 AAS Annual Conference
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Our third annual labour lecture co-hosted with the North Okanagan Labour Council is tomorrow (Thursday). Dr. Anelyse Weiler will be discussing farm workers' struggles. events.ok.ubc.ca/event/annual.... Join us if you are in Kelowna!
events.ok.ubc.ca
Annual Labour Lecture: Dr. Anelyse Weiler - UBC Okanagan Events Calendar
Find out how labour movements have advanced stronger workplace safety laws at this year's annual labour lecture.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Discussion is starting on the bill this week. www.cjpme.org/no_more_loop...
cjpme.org
Support MP Kwan’s bill to close the US Loophole!
Canada is quietly arming Israel — and fueling genocide. Email your MP and demand they support MP Kwan’s private members’ bill to shut down the U.S. loophole that lets Canadian weapons end up in Israel...
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
What’s with Carney signing off on every American intervention overseas? Venezuela, Iran… I can’t tell if it is an attempt to win favor or a reflection of his actual convictions about the world.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/02/2026
“Equipment operator Angel Gomez felt the power shift after the vote. A supervisor came up to ask him what he’d be able to do now. ‘The way you’re touching the machines now, you ain’t going to be able to do that,’ he told him.” labornotes.org/2026/02/majo...
labornotes.org
In Major Breakthrough, Volkswagen Auto Workers Reach Tentative Deal
Volkswagen had dangled a treat: a ratification bonus of $4,000, sweetened by $1,500 if a first contract at its assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was approved by Halloween 2025. But auto worker...
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Black Flag is coming to Kelowna. Hive mind: do I go see this reboot? exclaim.ca/music/articl...
exclaim.ca
Black Flag Book Canadian Tour │ Exclaim!
Greg Ginn's fresh-faced latest reboot of the band play 11 cities across six provinces this spring
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
Just got my copy of Mujun Zhou’s new book, which provides a really compelling argument about why China’s various grassroots social reform movements embraced and then became disaffected with Chinese liberals’ grand “civil society” project (I provide an appreciative blurb on the back).
An image of the cover of the book “The Life and Death of Chinese Civil Society.”
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Opposition movements elsewhere have brought down competitive authoritarian regimes by leaning into traditional get-out-the-vote tactics despite the deck being stacked against them—-and then calling out irregularities afterward. See Bunce and Wolchik’s work: www.cambridge.org/core/books/d...
cambridge.org
Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries
Cambridge Core - Comparative Politics - Defeating Authoritarian Leaders in Postcommunist Countries
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
A fast, effective campaign. For context: the Jim Pattison Group is something of a grocery monopolist in BC--they own at least five grocery store chains in my city--plus they control car dealerships, radio stations, and billboards. Yet, the company obviously felt vulnerable to charges of complicity.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
As a Swedish-American, I am delighted to be on the receiving end of these accusations!
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
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Bruce Springsteen @brucespringsteen.net · 28/01/2026
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free
youtu.be
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
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Moira Donegan @moiradonegan.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
This is not in fact the definition of the “working class.”
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
indivisible.org/resource/cal...
indivisible.org
CALL NOW: Tell your Representative to Stop Trump’s War in Venezuela
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 01/01/2026
This year’s batch of inflatable Santas in my neighborhood all seem ready to (cheerfully) pronounce, “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles. Freeman and slave, patrician and plebeian, lord and serf…”
A Santa Claus who looks like a cheerful Karl Marx
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Best discussion about where the US stands right now that I’ve listened to in a while. Featuring Stephen Levitsky, @dziblatt.bsky.social, and @lucanway.bsky.social. Somehow at once sobering and hopeful. podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
How Bad Is It?: Three Political Scientists Say America Is No Longer a Democracy
Podcast Episode · The Political Scene | The New Yorker · 2025-12-11 · 49m
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Another embarrassment from an MLA near me: a proposal to establish a provincial holiday in honor of the Freedom Convoy. Won a somewhat close election last year. Checked an old news report and she said then she would focus on “affordability, housing and healthcare.” www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna...
castanet.net
Kelowna-area MLA wants provincial holiday in honour of the Freedom Convoy - Kelowna News
A Kelowna-area MLA wants a new statutory holiday to honour the 2022 Freedom Convoy that took over downtown Ottawa.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
All I can say is that if the Democrats come back, they better not bail these people out this time around like Obama felt he had to do in 2009. At least not without asking for a LOT more in return. Otherwise, both bad policy & bad politics.
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
Traveled through N. China for a few days and was impressed by both the expansion of green power since I last spent real time there--solar panels draping terraced hills and poking up out of villages, windmills along ridges--and, at the same time, the persistence incredible levels of air pollution.
Windmills in North ChinaSmog in North China
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armando l sanchez @mandophotos.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
More from the scene
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
Recent impulse purchase
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Lucky to have gotten to hear this incredible call to action: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/l...
podcasts.apple.com
Cecil Roberts: “ You must continue to fight”
Podcast Episode · Labor History Today · 2025-09-21 · 34m
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Manfred Elfstrom @manfrede.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Send the email. www.amnesty.org/en/documents...
amnesty.org
South Sudan: End two deportees' arbitrary detention: Nyo Myint and Enrique Arias Hierro - Amnesty International
On 4 July, Nyo Myint and Enrique Arias Hierro were deported from a US military base in Djibouti to Juba, South Sudan, as part of the United States government’s mass deportation campaign and have since...
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Lev Nachman @lnachman32.bsky.social · 03/12/2024
Big news! My book "Contested Taiwan: Sovereignty, Social Movements, and Party Formation" is officially available for pre-order through University of Washington Press! Here's a brief summary of the book, contested politics, and why Taiwan matters for political science:
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