Andrew Sabl
@andysabl.bsky.social
Political theorist (Univ. of Toronto). Toronto/NYC. Realism, liberalism, toleration, privilege and opportunity, Hume, political ethics—and politics, humo(u)r, puns. Also husband, dad, stepdad.
The Globe and Mail (Canada’s sober, establishment, slightly centre-right paper): Trump plans to treat Canada as Athens treated Melos—“the strong do what they please; the weak suffer what they must”—and Canada must regard itself as in a “national emergency.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/f9f7c04...
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/f9f7c04...
The Sunday Editorial: Venezuela’s fate is a warning for Canada
The U.S. military action to seize Nicolás Maduro marks the formal debut of an imperial America
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 4, 2026 at 1:23 PM
The Globe and Mail (Canada’s sober, establishment, slightly centre-right paper): Trump plans to treat Canada as Athens treated Melos—“the strong do what they please; the weak suffer what they must”—and Canada must regard itself as in a “national emergency.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/f9f7c04...
www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/f9f7c04...
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Is the Senate possess’d of this?
January 3, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Is the Senate possess’d of this?
It’s distinctly possible that Trump is even more “personalist” in his approach to politics than anyone imagined.
To him, Venezuela is just Maduro’s gang. And once you dispose of the previous boss, you’re the new boss. No sense of enduring political attachments (or even interest groups) at all.
To him, Venezuela is just Maduro’s gang. And once you dispose of the previous boss, you’re the new boss. No sense of enduring political attachments (or even interest groups) at all.
January 3, 2026 at 5:56 PM
It’s distinctly possible that Trump is even more “personalist” in his approach to politics than anyone imagined.
To him, Venezuela is just Maduro’s gang. And once you dispose of the previous boss, you’re the new boss. No sense of enduring political attachments (or even interest groups) at all.
To him, Venezuela is just Maduro’s gang. And once you dispose of the previous boss, you’re the new boss. No sense of enduring political attachments (or even interest groups) at all.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Caine, in what happened when the military invaded Maduro’s compound: “On arrival into the target area, the helicopters came under fire, and they replied to that fire with overwhelming force in self-defense.”
We’re going to be reading that sentence for years.
We’re going to be reading that sentence for years.
January 3, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Caine, in what happened when the military invaded Maduro’s compound: “On arrival into the target area, the helicopters came under fire, and they replied to that fire with overwhelming force in self-defense.”
We’re going to be reading that sentence for years.
We’re going to be reading that sentence for years.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
January 3, 2026 at 2:37 PM
Some thoughts on what Trump has done in Venezuela and what it might mean for US national security. Caveat: not a Latin America scholar so this is focused on US policy. Clearly huge consequences for Venezuela that others can address.
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
First, despite the buildup, I didn't think Trump would do it.
1/
For all Trump’s rants about how Mexico is run by cartels, not its (female) president, it’s Trump who’s acting like a cartel boss, using the military as his personal kidnapping force so as to grab some loot.
January 3, 2026 at 3:35 PM
For all Trump’s rants about how Mexico is run by cartels, not its (female) president, it’s Trump who’s acting like a cartel boss, using the military as his personal kidnapping force so as to grab some loot.
“The results showed that chaos and violence were likely to erupt within Venezuela, as military units, rival political factions and even jungle-based guerrilla groups jockeyed for control of the oil-rich country.”
U.S. Ran a War Game on Ousting Maduro. Venezuela Fell Into Chaos.
www.nytimes.com
January 3, 2026 at 3:28 PM
“The results showed that chaos and violence were likely to erupt within Venezuela, as military units, rival political factions and even jungle-based guerrilla groups jockeyed for control of the oil-rich country.”
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Get ready for Phase Two: a raid on Oslo to seize the Peace Prize.
January 3, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Get ready for Phase Two: a raid on Oslo to seize the Peace Prize.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
January 3, 2026 at 10:52 AM
Marco Rubio is reportedly saying Maduro will stand trial in US courts.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Which means it’s now the US administration’s position that US courts can hold foreign presidents, but not the US president, accountable for crimes.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
I want to make 1 quick point here: the entire discourse around "Merrick Garland did nothing wrong, quit picking on him" V "Merrick Garland moved to slowly" misses the point. Yes, Garland was the wrong make, model, & type of AG for the moment we were & are in. But the failure was a category error. 1/
The issue, & not one @qjurecic.bsky.social has demonstrated in her reporting, is how the majority of the news media, politicians, & other elites & notables responded to & framed the attack on 6 January, how the attack came about, & its aftermath. 1/
my theory of Jan 6 is that nobody (except for a few weirdos) likes to think about it. from 2021-2025, the investigations/prosecutions meant that Biden was the guy who was making people think about it (which they hated). now Trump is the guy making them think about it and they also hate that
January 3, 2026 at 1:11 AM
I want to make 1 quick point here: the entire discourse around "Merrick Garland did nothing wrong, quit picking on him" V "Merrick Garland moved to slowly" misses the point. Yes, Garland was the wrong make, model, & type of AG for the moment we were & are in. But the failure was a category error. 1/
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
This is a thread of major media outlets falsely anthropomorphising the "Grok" chatbot program and in doing so, actively and directly removing responsibility and accountability from individual people working at X who created a child pornography generator (Elon Musk, Nikita Bier etc)
#1: Reuters
#1: Reuters
January 2, 2026 at 8:02 PM
This is a thread of major media outlets falsely anthropomorphising the "Grok" chatbot program and in doing so, actively and directly removing responsibility and accountability from individual people working at X who created a child pornography generator (Elon Musk, Nikita Bier etc)
#1: Reuters
#1: Reuters
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Cover reveal. It's about how & why colonies/states controlled international & domestic migration until 1888, why in the late 19th c the feds took over, & what it was like for politically disfavored groups to live under that arrangement of power. You can't understand voluntary migration history 1/
January 2, 2026 at 1:01 PM
Cover reveal. It's about how & why colonies/states controlled international & domestic migration until 1888, why in the late 19th c the feds took over, & what it was like for politically disfavored groups to live under that arrangement of power. You can't understand voluntary migration history 1/
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
I got asked if I had any Fantastic Four puns. I handed them a segment of Reed Richards. They said that was a bit of a stretch.
January 2, 2026 at 12:57 PM
I got asked if I had any Fantastic Four puns. I handed them a segment of Reed Richards. They said that was a bit of a stretch.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Magic Johnson was the grand marshal of the Rose Parade today, and as someone who remembers his November 1991 HIV announcement: if you had told anybody that day that he would be alive and healthy 34+ years later, I don't think they would have believed you. Medicine and research—they work.
January 1, 2026 at 6:17 PM
Magic Johnson was the grand marshal of the Rose Parade today, and as someone who remembers his November 1991 HIV announcement: if you had told anybody that day that he would be alive and healthy 34+ years later, I don't think they would have believed you. Medicine and research—they work.
It’s always head-spinning when Left commentators cite Bill Clinton to illustrate “liberal” (meaning centrist or conservative-Democratic) perfidy.
Clinton and his “New Democrat” supporters proudly proclaimed themselves *anti-liberals*—and self-styled liberals in the Democratic Party hated New Dems.
Clinton and his “New Democrat” supporters proudly proclaimed themselves *anti-liberals*—and self-styled liberals in the Democratic Party hated New Dems.
Sadly, I don't think liberals are embarrassed; I think they don't like immigration. Clinton signed both NAFTA and the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act.
And I think liberals should stop taking the bait and ceding ground on immigration.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
Immigration is good. Multiculturalism is good. Free trade is good. Stop being embarrassed to say so.
January 1, 2026 at 9:14 PM
It’s always head-spinning when Left commentators cite Bill Clinton to illustrate “liberal” (meaning centrist or conservative-Democratic) perfidy.
Clinton and his “New Democrat” supporters proudly proclaimed themselves *anti-liberals*—and self-styled liberals in the Democratic Party hated New Dems.
Clinton and his “New Democrat” supporters proudly proclaimed themselves *anti-liberals*—and self-styled liberals in the Democratic Party hated New Dems.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Happy New Year! We love sharing these pro-book posters from the Works Projects Administration Poster Collection in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest.
January 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Happy New Year! We love sharing these pro-book posters from the Works Projects Administration Poster Collection in the Library's Prints and Photographs Division. Of the 2,000 WPA posters known to exist, the Library of Congress's collection of more than 900 is the largest.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Microplastics are here to stay; that's why we need to eat them responsibly in the classroom
August 3, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Microplastics are here to stay; that's why we need to eat them responsibly in the classroom
Going to pop this.
I figure it’s now or never.
I figure it’s now or never.
December 31, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Going to pop this.
I figure it’s now or never.
I figure it’s now or never.
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
modern society is so divorced from our food sources that most people who eat pop tarts have never actually killed one themselves
December 29, 2023 at 6:02 PM
modern society is so divorced from our food sources that most people who eat pop tarts have never actually killed one themselves
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
We typically thing of populist attacks on higher ed as a right-wing phenomena (e.g. Turkey, Hungary and the US), but this piece is also good and showing how Amlo's left-wing populist government in Mexico operated in much the same manner. doi.org/10.1017/S153...
December 30, 2025 at 2:10 AM
We typically thing of populist attacks on higher ed as a right-wing phenomena (e.g. Turkey, Hungary and the US), but this piece is also good and showing how Amlo's left-wing populist government in Mexico operated in much the same manner. doi.org/10.1017/S153...
Fine by me. Fleece Navidad.
Yes, I am wearing a fleece jacket on top of another fleece jacket. Who are you? The fleece police?
December 26, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Fine by me. Fleece Navidad.
Have to say that this post—about how ordinary voters really would care about the White House ballroom—aged well.
Voters care about their material lives. But they don’t *only* care about their material lives.
Voters care about their material lives. But they don’t *only* care about their material lives.
A lot of people here claiming to channel “normies” really mean “my fellow *Jacobin* readers” and these are…not the same thing.
im sorry but if you think “normies” dont care about the white house being demolished for a half billion dollar golden vanity ballroom as the economy implodes then you just arent as plugged in as you think you are
December 26, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Have to say that this post—about how ordinary voters really would care about the White House ballroom—aged well.
Voters care about their material lives. But they don’t *only* care about their material lives.
Voters care about their material lives. But they don’t *only* care about their material lives.
Great thread.
What it boils down to is that enormous numbers of people simply don't value what we do as educators.
And those vast numbers of people include many--perhaps most--of our administrators.
And those vast numbers of people include many--perhaps most--of our administrators.
December 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Great thread.
Our Bella (the redder one) and her cousin Bowie in their matching Christmas “jammies”
December 26, 2025 at 3:57 AM
Our Bella (the redder one) and her cousin Bowie in their matching Christmas “jammies”
Reposted by Andrew Sabl
Editorial cartoonist @dennisgoris.bsky.social is exceptional.
Please follow and share (&credit his work).
Please follow and share (&credit his work).
December 24, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Editorial cartoonist @dennisgoris.bsky.social is exceptional.
Please follow and share (&credit his work).
Please follow and share (&credit his work).