Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 11/10/2026The US president is incredibly weak on the world stage. Demands concessions from Iran. Gets less than nothing. Tells Ukraine to lay off Russian oil infrastructure. They hit more targets within less than a day. Threatens other countries to join anti-Iran sanctions. China and others laugh it off. 1029680
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 11/10/2026Uh oh, did someone’s website and personal account experience a big drop in activity after Ukraine hit a Russian data center? 672259235507
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialRobert Wright @robertwrighter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026AI is said to be heading toward ‘recursive self-improvement.’ In part II of my five-part essay “The Singularity is Clear,” I explain what that means and why it should worry us. Both Part I and Part II can be found here: thegodtest.net/singularityc... Part III will show up there Friday. 087
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJacob Rasch @seriousjammage.bsky.social · 27/09/202677 wins, a positive run differential, breakouts by multiple top prospects, a front office that looks like it has a plan, you’ll take it any day of the week given preseason expectations. still lots of uncertainty left but an unequivocal step in the right direction 0175
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The US president imploring Ukraine to stop hitting Russian refineries because Ukraine’s campaign is showing signs of success—while asking nothing of Russian aggressors, natch—is so pathetic. They’re not abandoning their own self-defense to help cover for your failed war elsewhere. Weak loser stuff. 1240494
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialChris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Too many people online seem to conflate left politics with being obnoxious and scathing and Mamdani is such a model for combining a principled ideological vision with civility and grace. You shake hands, you act like a grown up even whether others aren’t. You show up. 29580741265
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialRon Filipkowski @ronfilipkowski.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Look at this loathsome repulsive creature yelling at a reporter. In addition to the fact that he’s the worst president in US history, he’s one of the worst human beings on planet earth. His supporters have a very serious defect in their character. 1897252896302
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialGarrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 25/08/2026One way you know Dolly Parton lived life the right way: I don’t think anyone’s going to get fired for accurately quoting Dolly Parton today. 226394907139
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 23/08/2026Three forces colliding: 1) Some mystical "They" makes everything work and will keep doing so. Government doesn't matter, voting is just aesthetics. 2) If rich, must be smart and good at everything. 3) Deep human psychological resistance to "I was badly wrong, and people I don't like had a point." 935669
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialALTON🏺🦊 @rudefoxalton.bsky.social · 21/08/2026I like watching a lot of videos on WWII organization and tactics including the less glamorous bits about logistics and it's difficult for me to believe this is nominally the same organization that bodied Germany and Japan simultaneously. World record century of humiliation shit. 381254211
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 22/08/2026U.S. government intervention in the bond market failing is a big deal. The Treasury doesn’t have many moves to calm bond markets, at least not without negative trade offs elsewhere. 1321636
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialThe Girl of Lemongrab @mc-hesher.bsky.social · 13/08/2026A load bearing mythos of pop leftism is that the Dems used to be good and for the working man and then embraced neoliberalism so the working man got sold out, instead of "white America as a whole turned on the Dems after the Civil Rights Act and began tearing down their own commons and prosperity" 352308542
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJustin Ling @justinling.ca · 04/08/2026Holy shit. www.wired.com/story/a-civi... 18168352768
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 24/07/2026 111881279
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialellie lockhart (she/they) @eleanor.lockhart.contact · 22/07/2026being Morally Right is not a sufficient precondition to allow a given course of affairs to happen you have to actually get buy in from society yes, even on your pet issue even trans rights even the economy and yes, even Israel/Palestine 26613
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJames Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 21/07/2026Valuable thread. Trump disaster w Iran is unique. Not (yet) nearly as many (US) casualties as GWB disaster w Iraq. But even less provocation or justification. By comparison, even Vietnam was"rational" step-by-step, tho leading to catastrophe. This time, pure impulse. No rational veneer at all. 1121152
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.social⚸ Gingersnapped 🐺🌕🎃 @gingerspiced.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Pete Hegseth: "We need our warriors to embrace the Spartan mindset" U.S. Military: *suffers crushing defeat to the Persians* 316254896963
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialBrian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 17/07/2026I hate that this kind of ankle-biting is necessary, but it would go a long way for even a single Democrat who was instrumental in letting them off the hook five years ago (Biden? Harris? Garland? Coons? Pelosi?) to admit that they fucked up, their critics were correct, it can’t happen again. 1045188
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialPatrick Chovanec @prchovanec.bsky.social · 17/07/2026I've lived in Beijing, and the thing is - they don't have elections. 24993571861
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 28/06/2026Declaring peace while punting on all points of contention and signing an international agreement with no intention of following it then lying about what it said and what adversaries agreed to has apparently failed. How did that not work? So many prominent people thought it would work. 321121267
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialDavid Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Trump has decimated the government’s ability to detect and counter foreign influence actions aimed at the US from Russia and elsewhere. But he has provided around-the-clock security for the Reflecting Pool to protect it from nonexistent vandals. That’s a good summary of his presidency. 35954321
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJosh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 21/06/2026he's now blaming the green and the new coating floating to the top as the work of a horde of vandals. "they took some form of knife or blade and put a 250 foot long gash into the beautiful facade" lol 941569267
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJustin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 11/06/2026The President just said we're on the cusp of a deal with Iran. Today's post explores two fun facts: 1. It's the fiftieth time he's said this. (I counted!) 2. Even so, stocks rose on the news. newsletter.platypuseconomics.com/p/how-to-pri...newsletter.platypuseconomics.comHow to Price A LiarFor the 50th time this year, we're on the cusp of peace. Apparently. 17131391083
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJosh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Good lord, really at late stage maga here 2002916376
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialMyPet Health by Vetcation @vetcation.com · 03/05/2026Dogs’ reactions when you ask them if they want a walk. 475504893
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialAl Swearengen @al-swearengen.bsky.social · 29/04/2026Always with the rapist talk. 29647116
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialChris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 25/04/2026Here they are: our two top Iran negotiators. No diplomatic experience. In way over their head. Both with massive financial conflicts of interest, their fortunes tied to the Middle East dictators that make them rich. What a disaster. 1136164344797
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialEd BooOOooOOmila @edburmila.bsky.social · 21/04/2026In both foreign policy and economic policy, the core belief of Trumpism is that there is some button one can press to instantly and easily solve any problem, and every political leader this country has ever had was simply too cowardly to press it. That’s it. 32884158
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJeff Sharlet @jeffsharlet.bsky.social · 18/04/2026It really is something. I feel like I can hear the urgent vitality and flexibility of his voice as I never had. 612322
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialGeorge Conway ⚖️🇺🇸 @gtconway.bsky.social · 18/04/2026The Iranians are playing this brainsick dullard like a yo-yo. 474114612012
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialGrudgie the Wail @grudgie.bsky.social · 14/04/2026“Two can play at that game” is literally the Drebin quote here when he takes an innocent woman hostage to cluelessly fight the enemy 783510812
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 13/04/2026Trump is demonstrating the importance of credibility in international relations. He is not credible. He’s shown that others can’t trust what he says, and can’t act as if his stance will be the same tomorrow. He can’t communicate demands or make reliable offers. He made America’s word is worthless. 301967394
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialNicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 12/04/20260 for 2 442086260
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialChris Ingraham @cingraham.bsky.social · 12/04/2026Current status of the Strait of Hormuz dispute 455322416454
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialMark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 12/04/2026Iran's horrible, religious extremist, authoritarian leadership is more credible in its war messaging than the United States' horrible, religious extremist, authoritarian leadership. 15480115
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialAndrew Rudalevige @rudalev.bsky.social · 10/04/2026“They have no cards besides the straight flush I dealt them…” 4319
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJulian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 10/04/2026Morbidly wondering who will end up with the highest body count. Hegseth trying to force Jesus to hurry it up by starting WWIII, Musk & Rubio abruptly killing virtually all international aid, or RFK mounting a sustained attack on legitimate medicine & public health. 810837
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialHoodlum 🇺🇸 @nothoodlum.bsky.social · 09/04/2026This is so well done. 👌 559196798273
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialWill Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 08/04/2026The US press is going to hide this from you but the reason there are "strikes on Lebanon" and "confusion over the strait" is that TRUMP RANDOMLY AGREED TO THE CEASEFIRE TO ESCAPE HIS OWN BLUFF WITHOUT WORKING OUT ANY OF THESE DETAILS 451986435
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialWill Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 08/04/2026We have to stop pretending the problem is anything else. The problem is Trump. The solution is getting rid of Trump. We cannot effectively prosecute a war or achieve peace while Trump is in place, because he will abandon one in favor of the other every 12 hours in pursuit of narcissistic supply 551669
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialWill Stancil @whstancil.bsky.social · 08/04/2026He is a deeply mentally ill person, with the intellectual capacity of a small child, whose only goal is self-glorification, in the most important seat in the world. He will continue to destroy everything and everyone around him UNTIL HE IS DRAGGED OUT OF HIS CHAIR 547850
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialRichard Nephew @richardmnephew.bsky.social · 08/04/2026OK, but you explicitly acknowledged as "workable basis" the 10 point Iranian plan, Mr. President. That was you, in this format. 55812
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJames Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 08/04/2026When Jimmy Carter's rescue mission to Iran failed, he went on TV and took full personal responsibility The US is in *every* way worse off than six weeks ago. And Iran, for all its losses, is in a stronger position. Starting with control of Hormuz. And NorKor-style determination to develop nukes 24885198
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialGarrett M. Graff @vermontgmg.bsky.social · 08/04/2026It is hard to capture what a sweeping strategic defeat the war in Iran has been for the United States. I’m going to thread here some of the posts today that try to capture those effects. Here’s the first: 6327991110
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialPhilip Gourevitch @pgourevitch.bsky.social · 07/04/2026to be clear, the civilization that will die tonight if Trump tries to annihilate Iran will be that of the United States, the one he has always degraded most relentlessly and most successfully 30623127
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialJulian Sanchez @normative.bsky.social · 05/04/2026They honestly do seem to believe, as Adam says, that savagery, disregard for human rights, and contempt for international law are a kind of cheat code. It’s the barstool moron’s worldview that everything is easy if you just stop being a pussy and unleash enough brute force. 522730
Reposted by @rshepard.bsky.socialAdam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 05/04/2026Remember all this nonsense about the supposed inferiority of “third world” immigration? They really believed that and applied their theory to international relations and it failed. Racism makes you stupid. 504368820