Lawrence Markowitz

I’ve just received a grant award notification from the new Musk Dept of Education awarding me $102,000 for 2025! The only problem is that my grant ended last year (fully completed). I asked for it in Bitcoin (sent to my usual BVI acct); my university’s post-award office was not amused.

Russian Tanks Show Up for Parade, Proceed To Destroy City Streets Even a relatively light tank will chew up asphalt roads.

And then there’s the minor issue of just doing something stupid. www.popularmechanics.com/military/wea...

Cory Booker crosses 20-hour mark in marathon Senate floor speech protesting Trump agenda | CNN Politics Sen. Cory Booker is holding the Senate floor into Tuesday afternoon, as the New Jersey Democrat continues his marathon speech protesting actions taken by President Donald Trump’s administration.

My Senator is actually trying to do something. Who’s next? And after that, who’s next? And after that? And after that? There should be a line of dems stretching around the corner. Stopping ALL business until rule of law is restored. www.cnn.com/2025/03/31/p...

To all the Democrats attending tonight, be sure to get a seat near the exit so you can catch the torchlit parade and book burning afterwards!

The wrong leader and the wrong strategy for countering an illegal autocratic seizure of power. Every Democratic member of Congress should be on the Capital steps tonight protesting with the biggest sound system available. thehill.com/homenews/hou...

The Path to American Authoritarianism What comes after democratic breakdown.

www.foreignaffairs.com/united-state...

Still counting days till my friend and co-writer Assem Zhapisheva along with Ruslan Bikenov will get released from their administrative arrests for picketing. Picketing, Karl!

Temirlan Yensebek will remain in prison till probably March or April until his hearing but it doesn't look bright either.

Canada’s Freeland Calls for Summit of Nations Bullied By Trump A key candidate running to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada’s prime minister is calling for an international summit to hammer out a joint response to US President Donald Trump’s tariff and sovereignty...

Democratic Party members of Congress, if you were wondering what leadership looks like…

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Arrest quotas do wonders - create competition between agencies, erode morale, lead to “storming” (rushing to fulfill orders by the deadline), planted evidence, falsified reporting, societal backlash - just ask Tajikistan. Wonders.

Trump plan to fight inflation by negotiating deal with Saudis to release more oil (lower energy prices -> lower inflation) may be good for him but not for fellow oil-producing dictators. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

A feature of US authoritarian descent is its speed and breadth, which reminds one the “takeover stage” of early Soviet rule (Dallin and Breslauer, Political Terror in Communist Systems, 1970) when professional classes, minorities, liberal groups perceived as political opponents were targeted.

Enrollment increases in US despite political attacks on higher education. People recognize its value. Nice to see some good news! nscresearchcenter.org/current-term...

Opinion | Lessons on Authoritarianism From Around the World Tyranny doesn’t happen overnight. Take it from the people who missed the first signs.

www.nytimes.com/2025/01/22/o...