Christopher Robichaud
@cjrobichaud.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Ethics and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School
Hobbies: TTRPGs, Board Games, Film, Fiction and Comics
Hobbies: TTRPGs, Board Games, Film, Fiction and Comics
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
18 months of bad press and Trump helps to rehabilitate us in the span of a week. Mr. Art of the Deal!
As Garber Stands Against Trump, Money From Harvard Donors Pours In | News | The Harvard Crimson
After Harvard publicly rejected the Trump administration’s demands, a wave of support — and money — has come rushing in.
www.thecrimson.com
April 17, 2025 at 6:09 PM
18 months of bad press and Trump helps to rehabilitate us in the span of a week. Mr. Art of the Deal!
I’m locked out of my FB account because of a two -step authentication process that went amiss. I could spend a lot of energy trying to recover it, or…take it as a sign and just walk away. Leave it as is for posterity. Whatevs. But be free of it. I’m leaning towards freedom.
April 2, 2025 at 12:16 PM
I’m locked out of my FB account because of a two -step authentication process that went amiss. I could spend a lot of energy trying to recover it, or…take it as a sign and just walk away. Leave it as is for posterity. Whatevs. But be free of it. I’m leaning towards freedom.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
‘But I’ve already said it 83 times.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
- Kubrick filming the moon landing
‘Do it again, Neil.’
‘But I’ve already said it 83 times.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
- Kubrick filming the moon landing
March 17, 2025 at 11:59 PM
‘One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
‘But I’ve already said it 83 times.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
- Kubrick filming the moon landing
‘Do it again, Neil.’
‘But I’ve already said it 83 times.’
‘Do it again, Neil.’
- Kubrick filming the moon landing
Sorry not sorry.
March 12, 2025 at 2:13 AM
Sorry not sorry.
Trump is buying a Tesla, which means owning one will soon become right-coded rather than left coded. Who knew that all it would take to get the right to become more environmentally conscious in their purchases was to have a clown president throw his weight behind a Nazi sympathizer?
March 11, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Trump is buying a Tesla, which means owning one will soon become right-coded rather than left coded. Who knew that all it would take to get the right to become more environmentally conscious in their purchases was to have a clown president throw his weight behind a Nazi sympathizer?
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
On Trumpian patrimonialism:
Jonathan Rauch: @jonrauch.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Stephen Hanson and Jeff Kopstein @jeffkopstein.bsky.social :
www.persuasion.community/p/sins-of-th...
Jonathan Rauch: @jonrauch.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Stephen Hanson and Jeff Kopstein @jeffkopstein.bsky.social :
www.persuasion.community/p/sins-of-th...
Sins of the Father
The United States is joining the ranks of patrimonial states. It’s nothing short of a revolution.
www.persuasion.community
March 6, 2025 at 2:08 PM
On Trumpian patrimonialism:
Jonathan Rauch: @jonrauch.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Stephen Hanson and Jeff Kopstein @jeffkopstein.bsky.social :
www.persuasion.community/p/sins-of-th...
Jonathan Rauch: @jonrauch.bsky.social
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...
Stephen Hanson and Jeff Kopstein @jeffkopstein.bsky.social :
www.persuasion.community/p/sins-of-th...
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
MEUSER: You've got Trudeau saying how the president is making a dumb move. That's bad diplomacy.
SANCHEZ: I'm not sure how it's good diplomacy to say that a neighboring country should be the 51st state and that you're gonna impose economic hardship to achieve that goal.
SANCHEZ: I'm not sure how it's good diplomacy to say that a neighboring country should be the 51st state and that you're gonna impose economic hardship to achieve that goal.
March 4, 2025 at 6:44 PM
MEUSER: You've got Trudeau saying how the president is making a dumb move. That's bad diplomacy.
SANCHEZ: I'm not sure how it's good diplomacy to say that a neighboring country should be the 51st state and that you're gonna impose economic hardship to achieve that goal.
SANCHEZ: I'm not sure how it's good diplomacy to say that a neighboring country should be the 51st state and that you're gonna impose economic hardship to achieve that goal.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Don’t tell me democracy is at risk and a constitutional crisis is unfolding and the best you got is a modified ping pong paddle.
March 5, 2025 at 2:48 AM
Don’t tell me democracy is at risk and a constitutional crisis is unfolding and the best you got is a modified ping pong paddle.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Lots of folks are asking what they can do to be helpful in this moment. I like the short list of action items that @choosedemocracy.bsky.social lists on their site. Democratic civil society is about being stronger together. Any effective strategy flows from that. choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/
What can I do to fight this coup?
If you look, there are people resisting at every level. Blockades of freeways. American Bar Association urging an end to...
choosedemocracy.us
February 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Lots of folks are asking what they can do to be helpful in this moment. I like the short list of action items that @choosedemocracy.bsky.social lists on their site. Democratic civil society is about being stronger together. Any effective strategy flows from that. choosedemocracy.us/what-can-i-do/
Hegseth is no longer recruiting for an American military. He's recruiting for Trump's military. The former swears allegiance to the Constitution. The latter to Trump. It's that military that will be unleashed on us civilians, when the time is deemed right.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to withdraw Army recruiters from the nation’s top Black engineering event has ushered blunt criticism from military leadership.
Pete Hegseth Torched for “F**king Racist” Move on Recruitment
Military leaders warned that Hegseth’s decision could seriously hurt the Army.
newrepublic.com
February 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Hegseth is no longer recruiting for an American military. He's recruiting for Trump's military. The former swears allegiance to the Constitution. The latter to Trump. It's that military that will be unleashed on us civilians, when the time is deemed right.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Hi Bluesky! Glad to be here.
February 10, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Hi Bluesky! Glad to be here.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
“All I know is that it was, apparently, possible to maintain a sense of facts and values — not only not to obey in advance but not to obey at all. If that was possible in the Soviet Union half a century ago, then it is certainly possible in the United States today.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/o...
Opinion | To Obey Trump or Not to Obey
The voluntarily surrender of the public’s power is how autocracies are built.
www.nytimes.com
February 9, 2025 at 2:54 PM
“All I know is that it was, apparently, possible to maintain a sense of facts and values — not only not to obey in advance but not to obey at all. If that was possible in the Soviet Union half a century ago, then it is certainly possible in the United States today.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/08/o...
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Always grateful for the fact that I get to be on the planet at the same time as @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social. Take a look at her new newsletter, with today’s column featuring an interview with yours truly.
"The best study on the subject in my opinion suggests that in the long term, institutions really can’t save us; that civil society and mass mobilization are a more potent check on a backsliding democracy in the long term..." meditations-in-an-emergency.ghost.io/the-nature-o...
February 8, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Always grateful for the fact that I get to be on the planet at the same time as @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social. Take a look at her new newsletter, with today’s column featuring an interview with yours truly.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Coalitional psychology and game theory are rarely discussed together. In this post, I combine an introduction to both topics for anyone interested in understanding how we navigate the complex web of social interactions.
www.optimallyirrational.com/p/coalitions...
www.optimallyirrational.com/p/coalitions...
Coalitions are everywhere
Introduction to the psychology and game theory of coalitions
www.optimallyirrational.com
January 30, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Coalitional psychology and game theory are rarely discussed together. In this post, I combine an introduction to both topics for anyone interested in understanding how we navigate the complex web of social interactions.
www.optimallyirrational.com/p/coalitions...
www.optimallyirrational.com/p/coalitions...
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Perhaps we should not be so surprised by the recent electoral results in many Western democracies. A key insight from game theory is that political coalitions may be less stable in the long term than we often assume.
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Why elections have surprised us in recent years
On the instability of political coalitions
www.optimallyirrational.com
February 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Perhaps we should not be so surprised by the recent electoral results in many Western democracies. A key insight from game theory is that political coalitions may be less stable in the long term than we often assume.
👇
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With Trump taking over the Kennedy Center, I hear his first effort will be a remake of Triumph of the Will, directed by Elon Musk.
February 8, 2025 at 2:11 AM
With Trump taking over the Kennedy Center, I hear his first effort will be a remake of Triumph of the Will, directed by Elon Musk.
Victoria is really excited to jump into this Daredevil run. I am too.
February 5, 2025 at 11:25 PM
Victoria is really excited to jump into this Daredevil run. I am too.
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
YES! Chuck, where do you live? Can you call your Senator?
Congress must take action to restore the rule of law.
February 4, 2025 at 1:09 AM
YES! Chuck, where do you live? Can you call your Senator?
Reposted by Christopher Robichaud
Musk and his allies are ransacking the federal treasury, gaining access to closely guarded payment systems that disburse trillions of dollars and hold massive amounts of incredibly sensitive information—including Social Security numbers. Just a terrifying development. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02...
February 1, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Musk and his allies are ransacking the federal treasury, gaining access to closely guarded payment systems that disburse trillions of dollars and hold massive amounts of incredibly sensitive information—including Social Security numbers. Just a terrifying development. www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02...
The Democrats are by their nature institutionalists. At least these days. They’ve long forgotten how to be rascals and rogues, how to gum up the system, how to start with an emphatic NO and stay there for a good long while.
They need to relearn this. Fast.
They need to relearn this. Fast.
February 1, 2025 at 10:29 PM
The Democrats are by their nature institutionalists. At least these days. They’ve long forgotten how to be rascals and rogues, how to gum up the system, how to start with an emphatic NO and stay there for a good long while.
They need to relearn this. Fast.
They need to relearn this. Fast.