Eric Thomas
@anthroeric.bsky.social
Environmental Anthropologist at UMass, Amherst. I focus on rural development and coastal industries, especially fishing and aquaculture.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
I've been banging this drum for years. was true during the Biden admin too! while elites hemmed and hawed and delayed for years, juries and grand juries had absolutely no trouble holding trump accountable
The more democratic elements of the American constitutional and economic order are actually throwing up road blocks to Trumpism. Protests and boycotts and low level courts and juries and cetera. Elite actors on the other hand are all too frequently caving. Fascinating study in who actually cares!
BREAKING: JUSTICE DEPARTMENT EATS A LOSS IN 'SANDWICH GUY' CASE AS JURORS FIND DEFENDANT NOT GUILTY www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...
November 6, 2025 at 11:17 PM
I've been banging this drum for years. was true during the Biden admin too! while elites hemmed and hawed and delayed for years, juries and grand juries had absolutely no trouble holding trump accountable
Reposted by Eric Thomas
People will be mad at me for saying this, but I think we have to do it. Nothing is more important for the future of this country, and indeed humanity, than the app that makes you schizophrenic and helps you forget how to learn. The juice is worth the squeeze.
BREAKING: OpenAI is requesting US government support to help guarantee financing for the massive investments in AI chips and data centers it needs for expansion, per Bloomberg.
November 6, 2025 at 5:52 AM
People will be mad at me for saying this, but I think we have to do it. Nothing is more important for the future of this country, and indeed humanity, than the app that makes you schizophrenic and helps you forget how to learn. The juice is worth the squeeze.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Yes, Lord of the Rings is about how you must trust the “hard men.” Just as Narnia is about an evil lion. And the New Testament tells a tale of a wimp who wouldn’t fight back. Next week on “fascists read classics,” we’ll meet tech visionary George Orwell…
October 29, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Yes, Lord of the Rings is about how you must trust the “hard men.” Just as Narnia is about an evil lion. And the New Testament tells a tale of a wimp who wouldn’t fight back. Next week on “fascists read classics,” we’ll meet tech visionary George Orwell…
Reposted by Eric Thomas
"The water's been brown for three weeks. It's a drag, but I bet there’s an Ivy-educated lib walking around Bushwick in a really bad mood right now. So it's totally worth it." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/at-...
At Least We Owned the Libs
Sure, it was a huge bummer that they cut funding for fixing the streets in our town. We enjoyed going places. But, overall, it’s worth it for the t...
www.mcsweeneys.net
October 20, 2025 at 6:28 PM
"The water's been brown for three weeks. It's a drag, but I bet there’s an Ivy-educated lib walking around Bushwick in a really bad mood right now. So it's totally worth it." www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/at-...
Reposted by Eric Thomas
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
October 9, 2025 at 4:42 AM
David Simon, creator of ‘The Wire’, being interviewed by Ari Shapiro (NPR)
Reposted by Eric Thomas
twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross
October 8, 2025 at 1:44 PM
twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross
Reposted by Eric Thomas
In the spring, the Trump administration abruptly cut $500 million from an emergency food assistance program that delivered meat, dairy, eggs and produce to food banks across the country.
Thousands of planned deliveries were canceled without warning.
Thousands of planned deliveries were canceled without warning.
Trump Canceled 94 Million Pounds of Food Aid. Here’s What Never Arrived.
ProPublica obtained records from the Department of Agriculture that detail the millions of pounds of food, down to the number of eggs, that never reached food banks because of the administration’s cut...
projects.propublica.org
October 5, 2025 at 3:00 AM
In the spring, the Trump administration abruptly cut $500 million from an emergency food assistance program that delivered meat, dairy, eggs and produce to food banks across the country.
Thousands of planned deliveries were canceled without warning.
Thousands of planned deliveries were canceled without warning.
And it’s… done! My completed manuscript is in the hands of my very kind editor at U of Texas Press.
A huge thanks to everyone who provided feedback on early and less-early-but-still-mediocre drafts. You know who you are.
Onward! #academia #anthropology #ethnography #patagonia
A huge thanks to everyone who provided feedback on early and less-early-but-still-mediocre drafts. You know who you are.
Onward! #academia #anthropology #ethnography #patagonia
September 3, 2025 at 12:44 AM
And it’s… done! My completed manuscript is in the hands of my very kind editor at U of Texas Press.
A huge thanks to everyone who provided feedback on early and less-early-but-still-mediocre drafts. You know who you are.
Onward! #academia #anthropology #ethnography #patagonia
A huge thanks to everyone who provided feedback on early and less-early-but-still-mediocre drafts. You know who you are.
Onward! #academia #anthropology #ethnography #patagonia
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Making them wear high-visibility vests over camo is such a good joke you couldn’t write it
National Guard is now tasked with picking up garbage in DC
August 26, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Making them wear high-visibility vests over camo is such a good joke you couldn’t write it
Reposted by Eric Thomas
New in PN: Trump's red state army threatens America's cities
"What this latest executive order purports to do is to allow Trump to send red state guard members into blue states, shattering the entire concept of state sovereignty."
"What this latest executive order purports to do is to allow Trump to send red state guard members into blue states, shattering the entire concept of state sovereignty."
Trump's red state army threatens America's cities
DC is just the appetizer.
www.publicnotice.co
August 26, 2025 at 11:37 AM
New in PN: Trump's red state army threatens America's cities
"What this latest executive order purports to do is to allow Trump to send red state guard members into blue states, shattering the entire concept of state sovereignty."
"What this latest executive order purports to do is to allow Trump to send red state guard members into blue states, shattering the entire concept of state sovereignty."
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Today’s Executive Order creating a *nationwide* military “quick reaction force” and setting up an online portal to permit random fascist vigilantes to join soldiers is one of the scariest things I’ve seen in U.S. politics in my adult life. Why is it not getting more attention?
August 25, 2025 at 11:06 PM
Today’s Executive Order creating a *nationwide* military “quick reaction force” and setting up an online portal to permit random fascist vigilantes to join soldiers is one of the scariest things I’ve seen in U.S. politics in my adult life. Why is it not getting more attention?
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Historian suggests fighting a wildfire with a back burn.
August 17, 2025 at 1:28 AM
Historian suggests fighting a wildfire with a back burn.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
The economy is so good that I'm firing the BLS Commissioner for reporting numbers so grim I refuse to believe them, and also demanding the Fed cut rates typically seen during a recession.
August 2, 2025 at 11:28 AM
The economy is so good that I'm firing the BLS Commissioner for reporting numbers so grim I refuse to believe them, and also demanding the Fed cut rates typically seen during a recession.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Donald Trump: six months in six charts https://on.ft.com/3IFmGVb
Donald Trump: six months in six charts
The US president has had a profound impact at home and abroad with a tumultuous start to his second term
on.ft.com
July 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Donald Trump: six months in six charts https://on.ft.com/3IFmGVb
Reposted by Eric Thomas
The antipathy for the Department of Education is the most enduring relic of the cause that birthed the modern GOP: not having to go to school with Black people.
July 14, 2025 at 11:53 PM
The antipathy for the Department of Education is the most enduring relic of the cause that birthed the modern GOP: not having to go to school with Black people.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Dude's wanted a military parade for himself for years and he finally makes it happen and turnout is worse than at a medium sized city's farmers market on a rainy day while like 2% of the entire country went out to protest his bullshit
June 14, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Dude's wanted a military parade for himself for years and he finally makes it happen and turnout is worse than at a medium sized city's farmers market on a rainy day while like 2% of the entire country went out to protest his bullshit
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Despite warnings from the law enforcement not to attend today’s No Kings rally after this mornings shooting of Minnesota lawmakers with the killer on the lose, the No Kings Rally is happening at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.
June 14, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Despite warnings from the law enforcement not to attend today’s No Kings rally after this mornings shooting of Minnesota lawmakers with the killer on the lose, the No Kings Rally is happening at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Full story: 60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history buff.ly/vAyBAlW
- Narrated by Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College
- Narrated by Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College
60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history
Donald Trump’s measures ending government diversity efforts are part of a much broader effort to reverse civil rights gains for all Americans. It’s not the first time such a backlash has happened.
theconversation.com
June 1, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Full story: 60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history buff.ly/vAyBAlW
- Narrated by Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College
- Narrated by Philip Klinkner, Hamilton College
Reposted by Eric Thomas
This is about UK universities but the parallels to US universities are very clear. And in the US, our Land Grant university model breaks the ivory tower barriers down even more, through Cooperative Extension (funded by USDA) and USGS climate science centers.
There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
A must read
May 18, 2025 at 12:35 PM
This is about UK universities but the parallels to US universities are very clear. And in the US, our Land Grant university model breaks the ivory tower barriers down even more, through Cooperative Extension (funded by USDA) and USGS climate science centers.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Sing it from the rooftops: congestion pricing in NYC is an unambiguous triumph. It is succeeding beyond its backers wildest aspirations & none of the second-order effects people worried about have come to pass.
It's a pure win. Celebrate it! Talk about it! For once, let's own the f'ing narrative.
It's a pure win. Celebrate it! Talk about it! For once, let's own the f'ing narrative.
Here Is Everything That Has Changed Since Congestion Pricing Started in New York
Fewer cars. Faster travel. Less honking. And some questions we still can’t answer.
www.nytimes.com
May 13, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Sing it from the rooftops: congestion pricing in NYC is an unambiguous triumph. It is succeeding beyond its backers wildest aspirations & none of the second-order effects people worried about have come to pass.
It's a pure win. Celebrate it! Talk about it! For once, let's own the f'ing narrative.
It's a pure win. Celebrate it! Talk about it! For once, let's own the f'ing narrative.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Agriculture text is out. Will go through it in this thread.
tl;dr: this'd be the largest SNAP (nutrition assistance, formerly food stamps) cuts in history. It would severely worsen food insecurity in America.
tl;dr: this'd be the largest SNAP (nutrition assistance, formerly food stamps) cuts in history. It would severely worsen food insecurity in America.
May 13, 2025 at 12:19 AM
Agriculture text is out. Will go through it in this thread.
tl;dr: this'd be the largest SNAP (nutrition assistance, formerly food stamps) cuts in history. It would severely worsen food insecurity in America.
tl;dr: this'd be the largest SNAP (nutrition assistance, formerly food stamps) cuts in history. It would severely worsen food insecurity in America.
Reposted by Eric Thomas
Reframing
"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."
HAPPENING NOW: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was just taken into custody while protesting outside the Delaney Hall ICE detention center
May 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Reframing
Reposted by Eric Thomas
I don’t know man, what could it possibly be?
May 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
I don’t know man, what could it possibly be?