Brad Simpson
@bradleyrsimpson.bsky.social
US foreign policy, human rights, decolonization, Indonesia, UConn, DIPG dad. #DefeatDIPG
https://www.bradleyrsimpson.com
My new book from Oxford! https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-first-right-9780199944408?q=the%20first%20right&lang=en&cc=us
https://www.bradleyrsimpson.com
My new book from Oxford! https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-first-right-9780199944408?q=the%20first%20right&lang=en&cc=us
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
A 1984 Pontiac Bonneville, station wagon, that my friends and I used to ride around on top of at incredibly high speeds when we were in high school. One time reached 110 miles an hour in the desert and hit a bump and jumped Dukes of Hazzard style.
A 1984 Pontiac Bonneville, station wagon, that my friends and I used to ride around on top of at incredibly high speeds when we were in high school. One time reached 110 miles an hour in the desert and hit a bump and jumped Dukes of Hazzard style.
January 5, 2026 at 11:10 PM
Introduce yourself with what almost killed you.
A 1984 Pontiac Bonneville, station wagon, that my friends and I used to ride around on top of at incredibly high speeds when we were in high school. One time reached 110 miles an hour in the desert and hit a bump and jumped Dukes of Hazzard style.
A 1984 Pontiac Bonneville, station wagon, that my friends and I used to ride around on top of at incredibly high speeds when we were in high school. One time reached 110 miles an hour in the desert and hit a bump and jumped Dukes of Hazzard style.
There’s “something refreshing about Trump just saying ‘yeah we’re taking the oil.’”
Imperialist gangster, indeed
Imperialist gangster, indeed
January 5, 2026 at 7:48 PM
There’s “something refreshing about Trump just saying ‘yeah we’re taking the oil.’”
Imperialist gangster, indeed
Imperialist gangster, indeed
At this point the Trump administration is just a eugenicist pedophile/child murder scheme.
BREAKING: CDC announces an unprecedented overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule, a significant shift that recommends fewer shots for all kids.
CDC overhauls childhood vaccine schedule to resemble Denmark in unprecedented move
The new U.S. guidelines recommend all children get vaccines for 11 diseases, compared with the 18 previously on the schedule.
nbcnews.to
January 5, 2026 at 7:43 PM
At this point the Trump administration is just a eugenicist pedophile/child murder scheme.
Holy shit. Stephen Miller basically saying the United States wants to restore a imperial/colonial order with the United States at its heart and reverse the era of global decolonization.
Eyes wide open, folks. They're revealing the supervillain plot.
January 5, 2026 at 6:42 PM
Holy shit. Stephen Miller basically saying the United States wants to restore a imperial/colonial order with the United States at its heart and reverse the era of global decolonization.
Reposted by Brad Simpson
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k... if you’re interested in this morning’s emergency security council meeting on Venezuela, it’ll start here at 10am. It was called by Colombia, and can help us get a sense of the public lines coming from a diverse group of countries
Threats to international peace and security - Security Council, 10085th meeting
The situation in Venezuela.
webtv.un.org
January 5, 2026 at 2:54 PM
webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1k... if you’re interested in this morning’s emergency security council meeting on Venezuela, it’ll start here at 10am. It was called by Colombia, and can help us get a sense of the public lines coming from a diverse group of countries
Congress should pass an Arrests Powers Act just to clown this dipshit.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Why wasn't congressional authorization necessary?
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
RUBIO: It wasn't necessary because this was not an invasion. We didn't occupy a country. This was an arrest operation.
January 5, 2026 at 12:06 PM
Congress should pass an Arrests Powers Act just to clown this dipshit.
Marco Rubio literally said here “we want a Venezuela where the wealth of the oil goes to the people and is not stolen by pirates.”
STEPHANOPOULOS: Trump said the US is going to 'run Venezuela.' Under what legal authority?
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
RUBIO: We want a better future for the people of Venezuela
STEPHANOPOULOS: I'll ask again -- what is the legal authority?
RUBIO: We have court orders
January 5, 2026 at 12:04 PM
Marco Rubio literally said here “we want a Venezuela where the wealth of the oil goes to the people and is not stolen by pirates.”
Reposted by Brad Simpson
Hey folks, you can preorder my new book Blue Power: How Police Organized to Protect and Serve Themselves at a 25% discount right now from @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/stuar... (and it's also discounted at bookshop.org, if you prefer that!). Published in April!
January 4, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Hey folks, you can preorder my new book Blue Power: How Police Organized to Protect and Serve Themselves at a 25% discount right now from @basicbooksgroup.bsky.social: www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/stuar... (and it's also discounted at bookshop.org, if you prefer that!). Published in April!
Reposted by Brad Simpson
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
A Criminal Empire
The United States launches a conquest and occupation of Venezuela to extract its oil wealth. The neocon dream is the America First dream
www.forever-wars.com
January 3, 2026 at 7:50 PM
The kidnapping of Maduro inaugurates a highly dangerous era of U.S. empire that for perhaps the first time in an era of mass media is not pretending to be anything other than a violent, extractive enterprise of domination.
Reposted by Brad Simpson
This is how you do it. No preamble to swear to God you don't like Maduro.
January 3, 2026 at 9:23 PM
This is how you do it. No preamble to swear to God you don't like Maduro.
Can the US legally “run”Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, and the Gaza Strip after invading them? Here’s what to know.
January 4, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Can the US legally “run”Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Greenland, and the Gaza Strip after invading them? Here’s what to know.
OMFG. The most @nytpitchbot.bsky.social of all possible takes.
January 4, 2026 at 2:19 PM
OMFG. The most @nytpitchbot.bsky.social of all possible takes.
The best case for a true “wag the dog” scenario was Clinton bombing Iraq in December 1998 while he was being impeached over Monica Lewinsky.
I was in Baghdad at the time, watching US cruise missiles explode from a hotel rooftop while the impeachment hearings piped through the loudspeakers.
I was in Baghdad at the time, watching US cruise missiles explode from a hotel rooftop while the impeachment hearings piped through the loudspeakers.
January 4, 2026 at 12:20 PM
The best case for a true “wag the dog” scenario was Clinton bombing Iraq in December 1998 while he was being impeached over Monica Lewinsky.
I was in Baghdad at the time, watching US cruise missiles explode from a hotel rooftop while the impeachment hearings piped through the loudspeakers.
I was in Baghdad at the time, watching US cruise missiles explode from a hotel rooftop while the impeachment hearings piped through the loudspeakers.
HCR arguing that deadline for releasing the Epstein files is the essential background to understand the US invasion of Venezuela. JFC how can a professional historian who makes millions of dollars a year distilling the news make such Schumeresque and patently absurd statements.
January 4, 2026 at 12:02 PM
HCR arguing that deadline for releasing the Epstein files is the essential background to understand the US invasion of Venezuela. JFC how can a professional historian who makes millions of dollars a year distilling the news make such Schumeresque and patently absurd statements.
This is how you do it. Why isn’t every Democrat doing this?
Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York City, called President Trump on Saturday to personally object to strikes the U.S. had conducted in Venezuela and to the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro. Mamdani accused Trump of violating international law.
Zohran Mamdani Called President Trump to Criticize Venezuela Strikes
Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York accused President Trump of violating international law. It was the first time he had criticized the president since their White House meeting.
nyti.ms
January 4, 2026 at 3:52 AM
This is how you do it. Why isn’t every Democrat doing this?
NPR coverage of Trump’s wholly illegal, and unconstitutional invasion and occupation of Venezuela was about as milquetoast, noncommittal, incurious as one would expect. If they’re no longer receiving federal funding, at least they could take a goddamn position, like “everyone knows its illegal!”
January 3, 2026 at 11:18 PM
NPR coverage of Trump’s wholly illegal, and unconstitutional invasion and occupation of Venezuela was about as milquetoast, noncommittal, incurious as one would expect. If they’re no longer receiving federal funding, at least they could take a goddamn position, like “everyone knows its illegal!”
Time after time since losing the election Kamala Harris has proven herself to completely devoid of political or moral courage. The Hakeem Jeffries of Susan Collins. She could not rally a bowl of sourdough starter to rise.
No statement on Venezuela from Kamala Harris? Not to infringe on her “me time” but if you purport to be a national leader you have to take stands
January 3, 2026 at 10:39 PM
Time after time since losing the election Kamala Harris has proven herself to completely devoid of political or moral courage. The Hakeem Jeffries of Susan Collins. She could not rally a bowl of sourdough starter to rise.
Trump: “screw the constitution.”
Hakeem Jeffries: “we really wish that Trump would notify Congress before he screws the constitution.”
Hakeem Jeffries: “we really wish that Trump would notify Congress before he screws the constitution.”
Trump on Democrats: "They should say 'great job.' They shouldn't say, 'Oh gee, maybe it's not constitutional.' You know, the same old stuff that we've been hearing for years and years and years."
January 3, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Trump: “screw the constitution.”
Hakeem Jeffries: “we really wish that Trump would notify Congress before he screws the constitution.”
Hakeem Jeffries: “we really wish that Trump would notify Congress before he screws the constitution.”
20 year old TPUSA chapter heads and Big Balls are going to run the US occupation of Venezuela.
trump is being asked by reporters how he plans to run venezuela and there is clearly no plan.
January 3, 2026 at 6:56 PM
20 year old TPUSA chapter heads and Big Balls are going to run the US occupation of Venezuela.
The US has always denied that other countries have the right to economic self-determination in the form of control over their own resources. This was oil consultant Walter Levy musing about Iran's oil shortly before the US overthrew its government in 1953. (from my book, p. 127).
January 3, 2026 at 6:17 PM
The US has always denied that other countries have the right to economic self-determination in the form of control over their own resources. This was oil consultant Walter Levy musing about Iran's oil shortly before the US overthrew its government in 1953. (from my book, p. 127).
Everyone in Congress knows that the Trump administration flat out lied to them. There may be no clearer case of an impeachable offense in US history, except perhaps January 6 itself.
Moulton: "When we had briefings on Venezuela, we asked, 'Are you going to invade the country?' We were told no. 'Do you plan to put troops on the ground?' We were told no. 'Do you intend regime change in VZ?' We were told no. So in a sense, we have been briefed, we've just been completely lied to"
January 3, 2026 at 6:10 PM
Everyone in Congress knows that the Trump administration flat out lied to them. There may be no clearer case of an impeachable offense in US history, except perhaps January 6 itself.
MTG really hates Trump now, gives no fucks.
MTG on the capture of Maduro:
“If prosecuting narco terrorists is a high priority then why did President Trump pardon the former Honduran President who was convicted…for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into America?…This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end.
Boy were we wrong.”
“If prosecuting narco terrorists is a high priority then why did President Trump pardon the former Honduran President who was convicted…for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into America?…This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end.
Boy were we wrong.”
January 3, 2026 at 5:24 PM
MTG really hates Trump now, gives no fucks.
All of the books offering theoretical frameworks for understanding US foreign relations will now be rushing to include a new chapter on “crude Marxist materialism”.
January 3, 2026 at 5:12 PM
All of the books offering theoretical frameworks for understanding US foreign relations will now be rushing to include a new chapter on “crude Marxist materialism”.
For decades, historians of foreign relation who argued that material interests were a driving force and policy making were derided as crude Marxists.
Now Trump is saying on CNN “we invaded Venezuela, we will run Venezuela, our companies will return, and we will take the oil and make trillions”
Now Trump is saying on CNN “we invaded Venezuela, we will run Venezuela, our companies will return, and we will take the oil and make trillions”
January 3, 2026 at 5:09 PM
For decades, historians of foreign relation who argued that material interests were a driving force and policy making were derided as crude Marxists.
Now Trump is saying on CNN “we invaded Venezuela, we will run Venezuela, our companies will return, and we will take the oil and make trillions”
Now Trump is saying on CNN “we invaded Venezuela, we will run Venezuela, our companies will return, and we will take the oil and make trillions”
Trump stating straightforwardly that the US will occupy and run Venezuela and choose its leaders and return US oil companies and loot the place for as much as he can. I'm sure this will all go smoothly.
Trump: "We're there now, but we're going to stay until such time as the pop -- proper transition can take place. So we're gonna stay until such time as -- we're gonna run it essentially."
January 3, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Trump stating straightforwardly that the US will occupy and run Venezuela and choose its leaders and return US oil companies and loot the place for as much as he can. I'm sure this will all go smoothly.