alex williams
@atwilliams.bsky.social
macroeconomist and computer user at http://www.common-wealth.org, editor at www.continuousvariation.com, fellow at stanford, partisan of the republic of letters
Pinned
alex williams
@atwilliams.bsky.social
· Aug 22
"because only that exists which can be posted, bodies themselves fell under the regime of the symbolic" - literal Kittler
some times ya just gotta laugh
November 10, 2025 at 11:21 PM
some times ya just gotta laugh
lmfao
TRUMP: US TO LAUNCH NEW AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM WITHIN 2–3 WEEKS
November 10, 2025 at 11:18 PM
lmfao
Reposted by alex williams
I don't know, but I believe we are living through the biggest money laundering operation in history.
November 9, 2025 at 5:34 AM
I don't know, but I believe we are living through the biggest money laundering operation in history.
Reposted by alex williams
I find Phil Rocco's theory that the coalitional nature of the Dem. party has left it unprepared to confront an anti-constitutional one persuasive. I'd be very interested to hear from people across the pond whether the same dynamics hold there.
November 10, 2025 at 5:03 PM
I find Phil Rocco's theory that the coalitional nature of the Dem. party has left it unprepared to confront an anti-constitutional one persuasive. I'd be very interested to hear from people across the pond whether the same dynamics hold there.
Reposted by alex williams
Politico is reporting that the breach at the Congressional Budget Office is "ongoing."
“Do NOT click on any links in emails from CBO. Do NOT share sensitive information with CBO colleagues over email, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom at this time,” the email to CBO staff reads.
“Do NOT click on any links in emails from CBO. Do NOT share sensitive information with CBO colleagues over email, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom at this time,” the email to CBO staff reads.
Cybersecurity breach at Congressional Budget Office remains a live threat
Library of Congress employees were informed to take caution when emailing the office of the congressional scorekeeper.
www.politico.com
November 10, 2025 at 9:40 PM
Politico is reporting that the breach at the Congressional Budget Office is "ongoing."
“Do NOT click on any links in emails from CBO. Do NOT share sensitive information with CBO colleagues over email, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom at this time,” the email to CBO staff reads.
“Do NOT click on any links in emails from CBO. Do NOT share sensitive information with CBO colleagues over email, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom at this time,” the email to CBO staff reads.
Reposted by alex williams
Never in my life can I recall an era where the Democrats could seize the anti-DC/drain the swamp mantle like they can coming up…
Honestly, I do think it’ll have to be a governor on the ticket in 2028 because earned or not, everyone in Congress will have loser energy vibes as an unavoidable side effect of being in the minority under Trump.
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Never in my life can I recall an era where the Democrats could seize the anti-DC/drain the swamp mantle like they can coming up…
"when they started posting so many friggin pictures of everything on the internet"
November 10, 2025 at 8:21 PM
"when they started posting so many friggin pictures of everything on the internet"
lmao, cmon man
Whoa -- Sen. Durbin went to up Leader Thune during the vote last night to tell him that on the shutdown vote and ACA promise that "8 of us are sticking our neck out that you're going to keep your word. I hope you will. He said 'I assure you I will,'" Durbin says just now
November 10, 2025 at 7:32 PM
lmao, cmon man
Reposted by alex williams
if anyone is interested, I could put up a wiki page tracking which sitting House/candidates for Senate are explicitly telling Schumer to resign (in full or as leader.
but there are a lot of people to track so you have to help find statements for me
but there are a lot of people to track so you have to help find statements for me
I've said it before, and I will say it again.
We need courageous leaders that put working families at the center of all they do.
8 democrats caving to empty promises is an indefensible leadership failure
For the sake of our country, Schumer needs to resign.
We need courageous leaders that put working families at the center of all they do.
8 democrats caving to empty promises is an indefensible leadership failure
For the sake of our country, Schumer needs to resign.
November 10, 2025 at 6:06 PM
if anyone is interested, I could put up a wiki page tracking which sitting House/candidates for Senate are explicitly telling Schumer to resign (in full or as leader.
but there are a lot of people to track so you have to help find statements for me
but there are a lot of people to track so you have to help find statements for me
Reposted by alex williams
Finished Lowenstein's "Ways & Means" on the financial and tax reforms that won the Civil War for the Union—brilliant book that manages to make bond sales gripping & shows how many US institutions (land-grant colleges, Union Pacific, etc) we owe to wartime reforms
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Joey Politano's review of Ways and Means
5/5: "The Yankees did not whip us in the field—we were whipped in the Treasury Department" bemoaned one Confederate officer. The man was half right, as the well-earned American victories on the battle...
www.goodreads.com
November 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Finished Lowenstein's "Ways & Means" on the financial and tax reforms that won the Civil War for the Union—brilliant book that manages to make bond sales gripping & shows how many US institutions (land-grant colleges, Union Pacific, etc) we owe to wartime reforms
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Reposted by alex williams
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
November 10, 2025 at 2:17 PM
I received this email about Democrats caving to end the shutdown from one of the SNAP recipients I spoke to:
they finally beat team transitory
November 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM
they finally beat team transitory
Reposted by alex williams
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
The fact that the BBC has made serious culpable errors does not negate the point that there is a real and concerted right-wing media campaign to destroy it. Both points can be true at the same time and the campaign would not end even if the errors did.
Reposted by alex williams
how after all these yrs can they be this gullible?
Shaheen on Fox & Friends: "I believe there are number of Republicans who are gonna join us in trying to address healthcare costs ... we are gonna be able to continue to right about healthcare because we're gonna have a vote in December."
November 10, 2025 at 1:30 PM
how after all these yrs can they be this gullible?
Reposted by alex williams
So just to be clear, the arc of this evening went:
- it’s not happening, you’re stupid to believe this is happening
- okay so they’re talking about it, but it’s not actually going to happen
- okay so it’s happening and here’s why that’s good, actually
- it’s not happening, you’re stupid to believe this is happening
- okay so they’re talking about it, but it’s not actually going to happen
- okay so it’s happening and here’s why that’s good, actually
November 10, 2025 at 1:19 AM
So just to be clear, the arc of this evening went:
- it’s not happening, you’re stupid to believe this is happening
- okay so they’re talking about it, but it’s not actually going to happen
- okay so it’s happening and here’s why that’s good, actually
- it’s not happening, you’re stupid to believe this is happening
- okay so they’re talking about it, but it’s not actually going to happen
- okay so it’s happening and here’s why that’s good, actually
Reposted by alex williams
if they were going to cave anyway they should’ve done it a week ago to spare SNAP recipients the agony.
November 10, 2025 at 12:54 AM
if they were going to cave anyway they should’ve done it a week ago to spare SNAP recipients the agony.
man who is gonna run the headline thats
"Fight Or Flights?"
"Fight Or Flights?"
November 10, 2025 at 1:20 AM
man who is gonna run the headline thats
"Fight Or Flights?"
"Fight Or Flights?"
Reposted by alex williams
Yeah, but that was before air travel was in trouble and the senators were personally affected, see
if they were going to cave anyway they should’ve done it a week ago to spare SNAP recipients the agony.
November 10, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Yeah, but that was before air travel was in trouble and the senators were personally affected, see
Reposted by alex williams
i think this is key. taking the deal would amount to taking the blame. it would turn a clear political victory into an unambiguous defeat.
If the Dems blink after all of this, for a deal that all but ensures no ACA subsidies in 2026 anyway, then what was the purpose of letting the shutdown go for 40 days in the first place?
November 10, 2025 at 12:56 AM
i think this is key. taking the deal would amount to taking the blame. it would turn a clear political victory into an unambiguous defeat.
Reposted by alex williams
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Run for Something
Find offices you can run for
runforwhat.net
November 10, 2025 at 12:38 AM
Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net
Reposted by alex williams
He's already declaring victory.
Elected Dems, you are so stupid.
Elected Dems, you are so stupid.
Trump: "We'll never agree to give any substantial money or any money to prisoners, illegals. And I think the Democrats understand that. And it looks like we're getting close to the shutdown ending."
November 10, 2025 at 12:20 AM
He's already declaring victory.
Elected Dems, you are so stupid.
Elected Dems, you are so stupid.
Reposted by alex williams
the angry base has been right and the savvy "calm down" caucus has been wrong every step of the way for the last 10 years
This seems significant
November 9, 2025 at 10:39 PM
the angry base has been right and the savvy "calm down" caucus has been wrong every step of the way for the last 10 years
not clear to me that dem electeds or dem-coded pundits were all that happy about the overperformance
Staggering off-cycle overperformance by the opposition, now time to take all the enthusiasm of the base and watch it explosively drain out like it's an overstuffed tank of molasses on January 15, 1919
November 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
not clear to me that dem electeds or dem-coded pundits were all that happy about the overperformance
Reposted by alex williams
Squint just a little bit, and you can see the outlines of an amazing, clean, electrified world on the horizon. The trick is to get there from here without frying the planet, or descending into illiberal, autocratic hell, or both, first.
Wild. They are figuring out how to store electricity in ... concrete.
Concrete “battery” developed at MIT now packs 10 times the power
New concrete and carbon black supercapacitors with optimized electrolytes have 10 times the energy storage of previous designs and can be incorporated into a wide range of architectural forms.
news.mit.edu
November 9, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Squint just a little bit, and you can see the outlines of an amazing, clean, electrified world on the horizon. The trick is to get there from here without frying the planet, or descending into illiberal, autocratic hell, or both, first.