iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Molly Crabapple @mollycrabapple.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Being mortal creatures with limited time and energy, it is totally natural that human outrage is selective. If you tried to do work on every injustice and horror on this earth, you would collapse into an exhausted ball of trauma it is absolutely fine for you to select a cause that is yours

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

This is great because (a) foreign policy is technically complicated, even when it's not morally so and more conversations are great and (b) it pushes back against centrist notion that FP is SO complicated that only someone w/a perfectly calibrated position supporting eternal US hegemony can get it.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

The real reason not to see The Odyssey

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Tim Hirschel-Burns @timhirschelburns.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

I had other things I wanted to do today but someone had to do it: A paragraph-by-paragraph takedown of why basically everything in this op-ed is wrong. Kind of shocking how rudimentary the Editorial Board's errors are here (starting with using "messy" to refer to hundreds of thousands of deaths)

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

RIP Jesse Jackson. His 1988 DNC speech is still the GOAT of major US politicians' speeches. It's all there - how to string together anti-oppression and economic justice, soaring rhetoric without hyper-nationalism. www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RCA...

youtube.com

Jesse Jackson 1988 Democratic National Convention Speech

YouTube video by C-SPAN

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 28/10/2025

The government of Jamaica has set up a portal for contributing to official relief efforts. I will update this thread if anything analogous opens up for Haiti, Cuba, or the DR supportjamaica.gov.jm

supportjamaica.gov.jm

Support Jamaica

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Fantastic meditation on the quasi-Kubrickian menace of Pete Hegseth's recent speech. Always read @lylerubin.bsky.social!

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

Kind of funny and appropriate that in trying to give a middle finger to a blue state, Trump is really just screwing over a bunch of "Let's Go Brandon," Thin Blue Lives flag waving MAGA loyalists who live and work here in Colorado Springs...

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

Growing up, my parents used to play Tom Lehrer songs on road trips. I owe some of my interest in history, sense of humor, distrust of authority, & left politics to his brilliance. So many greats to choose from, here's his acid satire of patriotism & empire: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhZ...

youtube.com

Tom Lehrer - Send the Marines

YouTube video by The Tom Lehrer Wisdom Channel

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

Very helpful deep dive into gradations of contemporary right-wing "Jewish conspiracies" thinking and a helpful pause in getting too excited about the Epstein scandals' political utility...

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Julie Ingersoll @julieingersoll.bsky.social · 18/07/2025

While at the same time reducing non-elite institutions' ability to provide well-rounded education (i.e. killing the humanities). The non-white/rich kids will have access to nothing but job training--which is a massive subsidy to corporations who can then train their workers at taxpayer expense

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

If you fit in the overlap of STAR WARS nerd and lefty political thinker, we've got you covered.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Phenomenal thread on being a teacher navigating our AI slop nightmare world. Personally, for me, it's most likely back to blue books and oral presentations, imperfect as those are...

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Happy to do it! Read @timhirschelburns.bsky.social's newsletter - covers so much that most more single-country focused media skips over!

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Hooray for a conversation that dives into, rather than dodging the "efficacy" question. Measuring efficacy of actions and movements is very difficult, sometimes nearly impossible. But it also has to be done and done rigorously and repeatedly to help build actually effective strategies.

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

The History and Political Economy Project @hpe-project.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

More than 25 years after the WTO protests in Seattle, what lessons can global activists draw? Register to join Walden Bello, Bhumika Muchhala, @pauladlerstein.bsky.social, and @llchristyll.bsky.social for a discussion tomorrow at 12:30 EDT. tinyurl.com/HPEAAWL

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Great fun chatting w/ @davidklion.bsky.social & the @bangbang1492.bsky.social boys about ANDOR. Hear me talk about my alternative plot idea for bringing Saw into the Ghorman plot and why it's hard for any social movement to know whether a particular strategy/tactic will be effective.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 22/05/2025

Come see me talk to a bunch of brilliant people about histories and contemporary dynamics of internationalist organizing around global governance w/@llchristyll.bsky.social, the Third World Network's own Bhumika Muchhala, & a GOAT of transnational organizing since the 1970s, Walden Bello!

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Jon Walker @jonwalkerpdx.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Unironically they should buy up the domains for about 60 defunct local newspapers in swing states. Hire two reporters to write almost exclusively about highschool sports and new restaurants opening with every 10th article about how the local GOP is screwing over people.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

Click on the link to at least scream into the void.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 19/05/2025

Will leading Dem candidates to replace Jared Polis @philweiser.bsky.social or @michaelbennet.bsky.social commit to signing this into law? A shanda of immense proportions to kneecap unions anytime, and moreso now at a time of rising inequality and right-wing authoritarianism.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

"Is it possible to speak of solidarity and of “being all together” in an economy based on ruthless competition? How far does our fraternity go?" RIP to former guerilla, former Uruguayan president, and all around great José Mujica. www.npr.org/2025/05/13/n...

npr.org

Uruguay's ex-President José Mujica, nicknamed 'world's poorest president,' dies at 89

José Mujica, the charismatic former guerrilla fighter who later went on to lead Uruguay and became known as "the world's poorest president" for his austere lifestyle, has died at 89.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Thanks again to @lylerubin.bsky.social & @vanjackson.bsky.social for having me on @bangbang1492.bsky.social to talk about the prison escape plot line from Andor, S1. Got to break down how it's a great microcosm of any organizing, as Andor figures out the dynamics & larger pol situation...

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 09/05/2025

If you live in CO or know someone who does, have them call @govofco.bsky.social & tell him to rescind this. And call any Dem House/Senate members & tell them to support an override.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 08/05/2025

Why are adults the only audience that count? Maybe the political importance of pop culture like "Star Wars" mainly stems from how it opens up thinking, leads to conversations, etc. about morals and politics among kids & young people? Conversations that start w/text but connect to the real world?

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

Great summation of the life of David Horowitz at @prospect.org. A purveyor of noxious racism & reaction for decades, I remember Horowitz as one of the worst boosters of the GWOT. I didn't know that Horowitz was also a mentor to Stephen Miller! prospect.org/politics/202...

prospect.org

Demonizers

David Horowitz bequeathed his rage-filled and slanderous extremism to Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and MAGA world.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

So fun talking w/ @vanjackson.bsky.social, @lylerubin.bsky.social, & @jennygzhang.bsky.social on @bangbang1492.bsky.social about Eps 4-6 of S1 of ANDOR. Got to pitch "if we're talking about pop culture politicizing ppl, focus on 12-17 year olds & actually organize them" & talk about my great-grandad

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

That is basically the catalyzing conceit of Bong Joon Ho's Snowpiercer...

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Pritzker joins a longer legacy of municipal and state actions where progressives and leftists work to influence int'l relations. We're going to need a lot more of it. Also, I can think of one other country Governor Pritzker might want to take a look at...

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

My review of Walden Bello's fascinating memoir. Since the 1970s, Bello has played key roles in theorizing and studying neoliberalism and global institutions, fighting imperialism, and struggling to make the Philippines a more just society: fpif.org/the-point-of...

fpif.org

The Point of Philosophy Is to Change the World: A Review of Walden Bello's "Global Battlefields" - FPIF

Bello's political memoir gives us all a challenge: to simultaneously be philosophers interpreting the world and organizers fighting to change it.

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Ben Lorber @benlorber8.bsky.social · 15/04/2025

Among other fallacies, this exposes the widespread bipartisan consensus to isolate antisemitism from other systems of domination & power, to imagine it can be 'fixed' through top-down technocratic processes of definition & legislation-- all ofc chiefly in service of pro-Israel politics

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Folks love shallow horseshoe theory. The politics of the left-of-center 1990s globalization mvts were complex. Yes, nativist protectionists existed in some parts of labor-liberal land. But also many genuine internationalists whose critique of neoliberalism was: "it's not trade, it's the rules."

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Heather Antos @heatherantos.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Today's Headlines

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Incredibly helpful take down of the "if social democrats just do nativism, they'll win" brand of punditry.

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Celeste Ng @pronounced-ing.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Boston folks--rally this evening to support the Tufts PhD student, here on a visa, nabbed off the street yesterday 👇👇👇

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

This is very true. Another thing: I get that "normally," these folks should resign for incompetence. But, IMHO, I'd rather have incompetent, widely disliked by their own rank and files, authoritarians running the security state than competent, respected authoritarians in the same posts?

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

ae @aelkus.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

the funniest thing about JFK assassination theories is that conspiracists accidentally discovered a seedy nexus of intelligence agencies, organized crime, and political extremists and then judged it irrelevant because it didn't provide proof of what they were originally looking for

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Reminds me of a certain strain of BS in the lead up to the 2003 Iraq invasion, where the Bush admin used the fact that we didn't "know" about Iraqi WMDs as justification for war...

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

Please take a few minutes to call your Senator today.

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 24/02/2025

Understanding diaspora politics is crucial for grappling with the rise of what scholars like Daniel HoSang call the "multiracial right."

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 21/02/2025

Another example of why the "let people just figure it out on their own" strategy of "organizing" doesn't work. Lots of people have understandably contradictory views about all kinds of things - that's why you reach out to all kinds of folks and build institutions that help them learn and do things!

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

Van Jackson @vanjackson.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

Great read Chris Shell: “Americans outside of the beltway and the ivory towers...can, in fact, analyze their material conditions and see that the prospect of a social democracy is continuously deferred in favor of maintaining global military dominance.” www.un-diplomatic.com/p/antimilita...

un-diplomatic.com

Antimilitarism As An Antidote for Alienation

A more cautious foreign policy could win back disillusioned voters.

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Reposted by Paul Adlerstein

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 06/02/2025

do i roll my eyes at a lot of DEI stuff? yeah, i wrote a whole essay about why i thought it was bullshit back in 2020. but trump et al aren’t saying, “corporate DEI policies mainly exist to protect corporate interests from discrimination lawsuits.” they’re saying “get the blacks out”

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Paul Adlerstein @pauladlerstein.bsky.social · 05/02/2025

If you want to understand Trumpian foreign policy, allow @jenmittelstadt.bsky.social to explain...

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