Jessie Trudeau

We made a crossword! 🥰 @rosstrudeau.bsky.social

We're going to need Nuremberg trials when this is over, yes, and to send a significant number of people currently in the federal government to prison. But we're going to need an unwavering commitment to ostracizing the supporters of it, as well. Never accept them again in polite society.

If I had to sum up what I’ve learned from analyzing mountains of election data—and what Mamdani’s campaign exemplified perfectly—it’s this:

Stop moderating. Start energizing.

I couldn't agree more, and have been saying this for a couple of months at least. We are under an authoritarian regime right now, the question is whether it manages to consolidate its power or is beaten back by the democratic forces that are stilling operation.

Stop Looking for Red Lines. You no Longer Live in a Full Democracy It's going to be up to us to bring it back to life

Stop Looking for Red Lines. You no Longer Live in a Full Democracy

It's going to be up to us to bring it back to life
open.substack.com/pub/ryandeno...

"Masked security forces captured an opposition leader in the coastal province of New Jersey as regime officials continue their months-long crack-down against pro-democracy elements in the embattled United States. The arrest comes as the regime issued calls for summary detentions without trial."

Bukele Has Been Negotiating with MS-13 for a Reduction in Homicides and Electoral Support

elfaro.net/en/202009/el...

YouTube video by El Faro Confesiones de un líder pandillero que pactó con Bukele - Parte 1

Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele owes his rise to the very gangs he (and Trump) now call terrorists.

In an exclusive interview with @elfaro.net, ex-gang leaders detail their secret alliance with Bukele.

"He owes 75-80% of [his rise] to the gangs... We [gave him] the support he needed..."

Trump administration revokes visas of 3 Syracuse University students without warning SU says it received no notice or explanation about the targeting of its international students.

President Donald Trump’s administration has abruptly revoked the visas of three international students at Syracuse University without explaining why the students were targeted, SU officials told syracuse.com.

I think a lot abt how marginalized people are expected to be perfect just to be treated w/ basic dignity, just to access legal protection. But democracy can’t mean rights for the respectable few. It has to mean fair and just treatment even for those seen as least deserving. That’s the real test.

All science grants selected through peer review now must be reviewed by the commissars

Alarming.

“The State Department had revoked 300 or more student visas, claiming these students were “lunatics.” Rubio claims students sought entrance into the U.S. “not just to study but to participate in movements that vandalize universities, harass students, take over buildings and cause chaos.”

International students will stop coming to American universities if their visas are going to be at risk. This will make our intellectual community poorer and also make tuition more expensive for domestic students.

2025 New Immigration Books Reading List, Your contributions needed! Help build a curated collection of fresh, thoughtful reads by sharing your favorite books about immigration.

2025 New Immigration Books Reading List, Your contributions needed!

Help build a curated collection of fresh, thoughtful reads by sharing your favorite books about immigration.

austinkocher.substack.com/p/2025-new-i...

Economic Crises and the Breakdown of Authoritarian Regimes Cambridge Core - Asian Studies - Economic Crises and the Breakdown of Authoritarian Regimes

So. I wrote a dissertation on how economic crises can lead to the breakdown of authoritarian regimes.

Here are three key point to keep in mind as you watch the news this week 🧵

This feels like the defining image from this year’s Midwest Political Science Association annual meeting.

The National Science Foundatipn paid for a booth in the exhibit hall. But the booth sits empty, because NSF has been DOGE’d, and there is no one left to send.

Spent the last two days in deep conversation about tax and conflict with this brilliant group in Helsinki, @unu-wider.bsky.social. More on our meeting and work here! www.wider.unu.edu/event/tax-co...

How does taxation shape conflict dynamics, and what role can fair and transparent tax systems play in building lasting peace? These were the key questions driving our two-day workshop.

A big thank you to our participants, read more about the event: go.unu.edu/R9p34

Excited to share some new work on the size, distribution, and political implications of extortion payments in Rio @unu-wider.bsky.social today.

Fantastic event, see program here: www.wider.unu.edu/event/tax-co...

Title: What Costs More: Billionaire Tax Avoidance or Federal Workers? Subtitle: Musk’s tax avoidance could fund 677K federal jobs • Current Tax Rate: 3.27% • Top Federal Tax Rate: 37% Cost Comparison (Bar Chart): • Cost of Musk’s Tax Avoidance (smallest bar, purple) • Cost of Top 100 Billionaires’ Tax Avoidance (largest bar, red) • Total Federal Workforce Salaries (mid-sized bar, green) X-axis ranges from $0B to $380B, showing that billionaire tax avoidance covers a significant portion of federal workforce salaries. Impact on Federal Workforce: • Average Federal Salary: $106,000 • Jobs Musk’s Avoidance Could Fund: 677,782 (29.5% of all federal employees) Federal Workforce Breakdown (Pie Chart): • A segment representing 29.5% of the workforce highlights the share Musk’s avoided taxes could fund, labeled “Share Equal to Musk’s Avoided Taxes: 29.5%”. Sources: • Musk’s Tax Rate: ProPublica • Billionaire Gains: Bloomberg Billionaires Index (Dec. 31, 2024) • Federal Employee Data: USAFacts

How many federal workers would DOGE need to fire to make up for Musk not paying his fair share of taxes?

Answer: 677,000. That's 44% of the entire non-DoD federal workforce.

Again, this power grab is not about the budget. It’s about politics.

If you're just learning about the Bolsonaro news, I strongly recommend reading @hsulli.bsky.social & @edebruin.bsky.social's piece in @goodauth.bsky.social that details the steps Bolsonaro and his allies took to prepare for losing the 2022 presidential election. goodauthority.org/news/brazil-...

Some brief thoughts from someone who studies public opinion. The federal firing spree can be made unpopular because it is being done in a haphazard way, there will be huge economic effects not just in DC but also across country & it's also likely illegal in many cases. But how to make that argument?

Wow thank you and thanks for sharing! Would you mind sharing the syllabus? (Sorry for delayed reaction, took a social media vacation 😎)