Paul N. Edwards
@avastmachine.bsky.social
History and politics of climate science, climate change, knowledge infrastructures. Prof. Emeritus of Information and History, University of Michigan and Director Emeritus, Stanford University STS Program.
Pinned
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
The other batsh*t insane thing is that we *had* an informal confederation built around "western civilization," one made through the defeat of Nazism and the containment of Marxist-Leninism. It worked! What made it durable was the liberal internationalist ideas and institutions, *not* the racism.
They're far-right utopians. They think if everyone stops doing institutional cooperation in favor of "national sovereignty," then "western civilization" will form as a natural community among the wealthy, white, male, Xtian elites who run the US, the UK, the states of the Former European Union, etc.
February 18, 2026 at 3:53 AM
The other batsh*t insane thing is that we *had* an informal confederation built around "western civilization," one made through the defeat of Nazism and the containment of Marxist-Leninism. It worked! What made it durable was the liberal internationalist ideas and institutions, *not* the racism.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
In our hyper-polarized age, Donald Trump can barely get a majority of *his own party* to deny that he is a racist. 46% of Republicans say the term racist describes Trump (5%) or that they have no opinion (41%).
For months I've banged the drum that "not sure" has become the safe harbor answer for "Republicans who know Trump's probably wrong, but don't want to admit it."
Today's Economist/YouGov Poll: Is Donald Trump racist?
41% of Republicans have No Opinion.
d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/ec...
Today's Economist/YouGov Poll: Is Donald Trump racist?
41% of Republicans have No Opinion.
d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/ec...
February 18, 2026 at 3:18 AM
In our hyper-polarized age, Donald Trump can barely get a majority of *his own party* to deny that he is a racist. 46% of Republicans say the term racist describes Trump (5%) or that they have no opinion (41%).
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
if gaslighting were an olympic sport this would take gold
Leavitt: "I think it's frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit. He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service."
February 18, 2026 at 3:57 AM
if gaslighting were an olympic sport this would take gold
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
The disintegration of a once free and independent press under pressure from Trump emerges again this morning as a leading topic in major European news reporting.
February 18, 2026 at 5:07 AM
The disintegration of a once free and independent press under pressure from Trump emerges again this morning as a leading topic in major European news reporting.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Trump's going to be so mad that she smiled for Colbert, but not him.
February 18, 2026 at 5:18 AM
Trump's going to be so mad that she smiled for Colbert, but not him.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
agree with this (hah) but also think a particular mistake the left made for a long time online, and still makes to an extent, is failing to understand that the person whose mind you may actually change is the one reading the argument you're having, not the one you're arguing with
The secret to engaging in social media debate is knowing you will never win anyone over. The best you can hope for is to have people who already agree with tell you you're awesome. You might great a dopamine thrill from the righteousness of your anger! Fine benefits, all. But you will never win.
February 16, 2026 at 11:35 PM
The drunk uncle theory.
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
You don’t argue with the casually homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner to change his mind; you argue so that the closeted cousin at the kids table knows there’s safe people and better possibilities out there
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
1/ MAGA want to set up a NEW EUROPE/OLD EUROPE divide. Then use US carrots+sticks to coerce european social democracy
Thread to collect how European politicians start to ape MAGA line of being against immigration,climate,feminism,taxes... Please share eg!
www.programmablemutter.com/p/america-ha...
Thread to collect how European politicians start to ape MAGA line of being against immigration,climate,feminism,taxes... Please share eg!
www.programmablemutter.com/p/america-ha...
December 7, 2025 at 4:18 PM
1/ MAGA want to set up a NEW EUROPE/OLD EUROPE divide. Then use US carrots+sticks to coerce european social democracy
Thread to collect how European politicians start to ape MAGA line of being against immigration,climate,feminism,taxes... Please share eg!
www.programmablemutter.com/p/america-ha...
Thread to collect how European politicians start to ape MAGA line of being against immigration,climate,feminism,taxes... Please share eg!
www.programmablemutter.com/p/america-ha...
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
"Maybe climate change is a good way of dealing with overpopulation ... potentially a good thing for the species." - Jeffrey Epstein
"From: "jeffrey E." <jeevacation@gmail.com>
To: Joscha Bach
Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2016
re taboo , maybe climate change is a good way of dealing with overpopulation. the earths forest fire. potentailly a
good thing for the species".. 1/2
To: Joscha Bach
Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2016
re taboo , maybe climate change is a good way of dealing with overpopulation. the earths forest fire. potentailly a
good thing for the species".. 1/2
February 16, 2026 at 8:36 AM
"Maybe climate change is a good way of dealing with overpopulation ... potentially a good thing for the species." - Jeffrey Epstein
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
“Bank of Coal”?
Bank of America is one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel funders. Since the Paris Agreement, they have poured $333 billion into fossil fuels. Despite making a net-zero pledge in 2021, they remain the largest coal mining financier in North America, backing $1.5 billion in 2023.🛢️
February 16, 2026 at 9:00 AM
“Bank of Coal”?
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
"Regarding truth, generative #AI is fundamentally unreliable. It does not aim at factual accuracy”
"Flawed and opaque AI systems are undermining human reasoning, eroding a cornerstone of democratic citizenship and public debate."
–Dr Eileen Culloty, DCU,
www.irishexaminer.com/news/politic...
"Flawed and opaque AI systems are undermining human reasoning, eroding a cornerstone of democratic citizenship and public debate."
–Dr Eileen Culloty, DCU,
www.irishexaminer.com/news/politic...
AI is undermining democracy, Oireachtas committee to hear
TDs and senators to hear that AI portals' use of online journalism without payment is leaving quality journalism 'under existential threat'
www.irishexaminer.com
February 16, 2026 at 9:04 AM
"Regarding truth, generative #AI is fundamentally unreliable. It does not aim at factual accuracy”
"Flawed and opaque AI systems are undermining human reasoning, eroding a cornerstone of democratic citizenship and public debate."
–Dr Eileen Culloty, DCU,
www.irishexaminer.com/news/politic...
"Flawed and opaque AI systems are undermining human reasoning, eroding a cornerstone of democratic citizenship and public debate."
–Dr Eileen Culloty, DCU,
www.irishexaminer.com/news/politic...
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
SF is such a cooked place. The Mission used to be home to a massive Latine diaspora. And now it's filled with people who speak like this.
Token Anxiety
i think i mostly echo this for myself. with so much that can be done, i often feel like i *should* be doing something, always
i think i mostly echo this for myself. with so much that can be done, i often feel like i *should* be doing something, always
February 16, 2026 at 1:30 AM
SF is such a cooked place. The Mission used to be home to a massive Latine diaspora. And now it's filled with people who speak like this.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
It's great to live in a country (Canada, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, etc.) where citizens don't worry about if the next election will be canceled, if they will be allowed to register to vote, if they will have to stand in line for hours to vote, or if their vote will be counted.
February 15, 2026 at 2:26 PM
It's great to live in a country (Canada, Japan, UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, etc.) where citizens don't worry about if the next election will be canceled, if they will be allowed to register to vote, if they will have to stand in line for hours to vote, or if their vote will be counted.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
NEW: Read this terrific piece @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social for @thenerve.news in which she unpicks Edge.org, the hugely influential 'salon' funded by Epstein & threaded through with race science & eugenics.
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/epstein-bi...
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/epstein-bi...
The billionaires' eugenics project: how Epstein infiltrated Harvard, muzzled the humanities and preached master-race science
Edge - Jeffrey Epstein's favourite intellectual salon - was sold to me as a gathering of the world's finest minds, writes Virginia Heffernan. The files reveal it was something far darker: a decades-lo...
www.thenerve.news
February 15, 2026 at 11:18 AM
NEW: Read this terrific piece @virginiaheffernan.bsky.social for @thenerve.news in which she unpicks Edge.org, the hugely influential 'salon' funded by Epstein & threaded through with race science & eugenics.
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/epstein-bi...
1/
www.thenerve.news/p/epstein-bi...
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
This isn't something distant or far away. Super-agent & close Epstein ally, John Brockman had huge influence. His 'rockstar' writers, scientists and academics dominated our book pages & broadsheets.
We need nothing less than a total revisionist history of the last 20 years.
2/
We need nothing less than a total revisionist history of the last 20 years.
2/
February 15, 2026 at 11:18 AM
This isn't something distant or far away. Super-agent & close Epstein ally, John Brockman had huge influence. His 'rockstar' writers, scientists and academics dominated our book pages & broadsheets.
We need nothing less than a total revisionist history of the last 20 years.
2/
We need nothing less than a total revisionist history of the last 20 years.
2/
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
The best case scenario is that Trump will waste $38 billion. The more likely outcome is that these will become warehouses of human suffering, and a permanent stain on America's history.
Breaking news: ICE expects to spend $38.3 billion on its plan to acquire warehouses across the U.S. and retrofit them into immigrant detention centers that can hold tens of thousands of people, according to agency documents.
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion turning warehouses into detention centers
ICE plans to spend $38.3 billion converting warehouses into detention centers, according to planning documents, more than the annual budgets of 22 states.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 14, 2026 at 3:09 AM
The best case scenario is that Trump will waste $38 billion. The more likely outcome is that these will become warehouses of human suffering, and a permanent stain on America's history.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
VS-minister Rubio komt met racistisch, klimaatontkennend praatje aanzetten op veiligheidsconferentie München
VS-minister Rubio komt met racistisch, klimaatontkennend praatje aanzetten op veiligheidsconferentie München - Joop - BNNVARA
Veelzeggend is dat Rubio niets te melden had over de voortdurende Russische annexatie van Oekraïne.
www.bnnvara.nl
February 14, 2026 at 12:04 PM
VS-minister Rubio komt met racistisch, klimaatontkennend praatje aanzetten op veiligheidsconferentie München
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Trump opens only US marine national monument in Atlantic to fishing — again
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trum...
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trum...
Trump opens only US marine national monument in Atlantic to fishing — again
U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on Feb. 6 to open a marine protected area off the northeastern U.S. to commercial fishing, in his latest move to deregulate the country’s waters and f...
news.mongabay.com
February 16, 2026 at 7:46 PM
Trump opens only US marine national monument in Atlantic to fishing — again
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trum...
news.mongabay.com/2026/02/trum...
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Ossoff: "Among today's false prophets are the election deniers who indulge this president's obsession with overturning the 2020 election. Hear me when I say this -- they tell a lie so absurd, and therefore so debasing, that the act of telling it proves the teller's total and humiliating submission."
February 16, 2026 at 5:22 PM
Ossoff: "Among today's false prophets are the election deniers who indulge this president's obsession with overturning the 2020 election. Hear me when I say this -- they tell a lie so absurd, and therefore so debasing, that the act of telling it proves the teller's total and humiliating submission."
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, manages to praise the scientific revolution in the same speech where he calls concern about climate change a "cult". Pardon me while I beat my head into a wall. @thehill.com 1/
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
thehill.com
February 14, 2026 at 4:57 PM
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, manages to praise the scientific revolution in the same speech where he calls concern about climate change a "cult". Pardon me while I beat my head into a wall. @thehill.com 1/
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
thehill.com/homenews/adm...
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Look, the endangerment-finding move was stupid and wrong, but this headline is wildly misleading. EPA regs never meaningfully restrained GHGs and the US government still very much has the power to address climate change. It's called f'ing Congress!
Trump Administration Erases the Government’s Power to Fight Climate Change
www.nytimes.com
February 15, 2026 at 7:32 PM
Look, the endangerment-finding move was stupid and wrong, but this headline is wildly misleading. EPA regs never meaningfully restrained GHGs and the US government still very much has the power to address climate change. It's called f'ing Congress!
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
This scheme to make passports harder to obtain comes as Republicans are trying to make passports one of the few documents that can be presented in order to be permitted to register to vote.
State Department orders nonprofit libraries to stop processing passport applications
The State Department has ordered nonprofit public libraries to stop taking passport applications, cutting off a popular local service.
apnews.com
February 15, 2026 at 4:38 PM
This scheme to make passports harder to obtain comes as Republicans are trying to make passports one of the few documents that can be presented in order to be permitted to register to vote.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Never Forget Bush’s Bait-and-Switch Iraq War
www.counterpunch.org
Never Forget Bush’s Bait-and-Switch Iraq War
twp.ai
February 16, 2026 at 7:00 AM
Never Forget Bush’s Bait-and-Switch Iraq War
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Another ICE horror story. Young boy opens door:
“Do you know this guy?” they asked him, showing him a name. “Oh, that’s my mom!” her son replied.
“Where’s your mom?” they pressed.
“My mom’s still sleeping,” he said.
Within minutes, the federal agents had roused Thi Dua Vang from bed.
“Do you know this guy?” they asked him, showing him a name. “Oh, that’s my mom!” her son replied.
“Where’s your mom?” they pressed.
“My mom’s still sleeping,” he said.
Within minutes, the federal agents had roused Thi Dua Vang from bed.
Federal agents convinced an 11-year-old boy to open the door at 7:30 a.m. and then detained this Hmong grandma for 2 weeks in Texas. She shared a cell with 20 women. What did she do wrong? She has no idea, but ICE has returned repeatedly. She's still in hiding. www.twincities.com/2026/02/15/h...
Hmong grandmother detained in Texas for 2 weeks still doesn’t know why
After being repeatedly visited by ICE, Thi Dua Vang and her husband, both in the U.S. legally awaiting green cards, are in hiding.
www.twincities.com
February 15, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Another ICE horror story. Young boy opens door:
“Do you know this guy?” they asked him, showing him a name. “Oh, that’s my mom!” her son replied.
“Where’s your mom?” they pressed.
“My mom’s still sleeping,” he said.
Within minutes, the federal agents had roused Thi Dua Vang from bed.
“Do you know this guy?” they asked him, showing him a name. “Oh, that’s my mom!” her son replied.
“Where’s your mom?” they pressed.
“My mom’s still sleeping,” he said.
Within minutes, the federal agents had roused Thi Dua Vang from bed.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Civil rights was a tough sell for white Americans for a century. Giving up all rights to serve as serfs in a 1% fascist oligarchy only took a couple of decades.
February 15, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Civil rights was a tough sell for white Americans for a century. Giving up all rights to serve as serfs in a 1% fascist oligarchy only took a couple of decades.
Reposted by Paul N. Edwards
Are Democrats fighting to get us back to this? Or are they fighting to stop this? That's an essential question that party needs to answer and that we should be asking ourselves.
A reminder that this famous photo was taken in 2014, during Obama's presidency.
February 15, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Are Democrats fighting to get us back to this? Or are they fighting to stop this? That's an essential question that party needs to answer and that we should be asking ourselves.