Cole Donovan
@colesci.bsky.social
S&T Ecosystem Development at the Federation of American Scientists. Former White House OSTP, NOAA Office of Space Commerce, National Academies, State Department. Geeky painter. Views my own.
These idiots who only learned the slogans in Leviathan missed out on all the stuff that’s not possible in a state of nature BEFORE Hobbes even gets to life being nasty, brutish, and short. Industry isn’t possible, no knowledge, no arts, no society.
The state of nature actually sucks!
The state of nature actually sucks!
January 6, 2026 at 2:23 PM
These idiots who only learned the slogans in Leviathan missed out on all the stuff that’s not possible in a state of nature BEFORE Hobbes even gets to life being nasty, brutish, and short. Industry isn’t possible, no knowledge, no arts, no society.
The state of nature actually sucks!
The state of nature actually sucks!
I mean we should have seen this coming when we decided the villain’s technology in sci fi movies should be our primary instrument of power projection.
January 6, 2026 at 2:08 PM
I mean we should have seen this coming when we decided the villain’s technology in sci fi movies should be our primary instrument of power projection.
What the actual heck
What in the Gestapo is going on in Grand Rapids?
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
Watch this activist get arrested *mid-interview* for speaking out against U.S. action in Venezuela.
January 6, 2026 at 12:16 AM
What the actual heck
China right now updating their Nine Dash Line talking points
One of most remarkable US presentations at UN Security Council I've ever seen.
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
- No reference to UN Charter legal justification
- Claims Panama as precedent (which the UN condemned)
- Energy reserves ⤵️ as justification is illegal
- Sharp contrast with US Ambassador Pickering presentation in 1989
January 5, 2026 at 11:18 PM
China right now updating their Nine Dash Line talking points
Someone caught the imperial bug
TRUMP: Colombia is very sick too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the US, and he's not gonna be doing it very long
Q: So there's will be an operation by the US in Colombia?
TRUMP: Sounds good to me
Q: So there's will be an operation by the US in Colombia?
TRUMP: Sounds good to me
January 5, 2026 at 1:03 AM
Someone caught the imperial bug
Good afternoon!
This isn’t how democracy works.
This isn’t how democracy works.
Marco Rubio: "It had to be done. And it's been done. And I assure you the people left behind in Venezuela now that are in charge of the police and everything else, I assure you they are gonna probably be a lot more compliant than Maduro was as a result of this."
January 4, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Good afternoon!
This isn’t how democracy works.
This isn’t how democracy works.
Have been wondering when we’re going to finally reach our “Suez moment.”
This certainly isn’t it, but this just made the probability of us having a Suez moment skyrocket.
This certainly isn’t it, but this just made the probability of us having a Suez moment skyrocket.
the reality of what we’re really facing is starting to sink it. jesus fucking crisis.
January 4, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Have been wondering when we’re going to finally reach our “Suez moment.”
This certainly isn’t it, but this just made the probability of us having a Suez moment skyrocket.
This certainly isn’t it, but this just made the probability of us having a Suez moment skyrocket.
Reposted by Cole Donovan
i am an american patriot. if summoned for jury in the case of mr maduro i will report dutifully. i have never heard of jury nullification.
January 3, 2026 at 4:15 PM
i am an american patriot. if summoned for jury in the case of mr maduro i will report dutifully. i have never heard of jury nullification.
Reposted by Cole Donovan
you don't need to add caveats agreeing that the head of state abducted is a bad guy before opposing abduction of a head of state by military force. If the rule was any head of government is fair game then the entire world would be a series of decapitation strikes and show trials in foreign courts.
January 3, 2026 at 1:50 PM
you don't need to add caveats agreeing that the head of state abducted is a bad guy before opposing abduction of a head of state by military force. If the rule was any head of government is fair game then the entire world would be a series of decapitation strikes and show trials in foreign courts.
I’m sorry but whether or not the President has the power to recognize a foreign leader shouldn’t have any bearing on the requirement that they use war powers secured by Congress.
We’re about to test a whole body of OLC opinions in court if Maduro is getting tried in New York.
We’re about to test a whole body of OLC opinions in court if Maduro is getting tried in New York.
January 3, 2026 at 1:51 PM
I’m sorry but whether or not the President has the power to recognize a foreign leader shouldn’t have any bearing on the requirement that they use war powers secured by Congress.
We’re about to test a whole body of OLC opinions in court if Maduro is getting tried in New York.
We’re about to test a whole body of OLC opinions in court if Maduro is getting tried in New York.
Looking increasingly like kidnapping Maduro didn’t even achieve the level of “decapitation strike”, as the military appears to be able to assert its authority and the Vice President is speaking.
Still likely this dramatically undermines U.S. influence and destabilizes Latin America.
Still likely this dramatically undermines U.S. influence and destabilizes Latin America.
January 3, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Looking increasingly like kidnapping Maduro didn’t even achieve the level of “decapitation strike”, as the military appears to be able to assert its authority and the Vice President is speaking.
Still likely this dramatically undermines U.S. influence and destabilizes Latin America.
Still likely this dramatically undermines U.S. influence and destabilizes Latin America.
I’m sorry but the defining foreign policy events of my adulthood were Iraq and Afghanistan, so “letting another generation of humanity shoulder the consequences of U.S. military adventurism for the rest of their lives” isn’t going to get any praise from me.
I don’t care how bad Maduro is.
I don’t care how bad Maduro is.
January 3, 2026 at 10:04 AM
I’m sorry but the defining foreign policy events of my adulthood were Iraq and Afghanistan, so “letting another generation of humanity shoulder the consequences of U.S. military adventurism for the rest of their lives” isn’t going to get any praise from me.
I don’t care how bad Maduro is.
I don’t care how bad Maduro is.
And message to every other leader in Latin America: that old United States that would kidnap you or kill you and destabilize your country at a whim? Yep it’s back.
Law of the jungle. Message to the world: It's now OK for the Chinese or others to do something similar.
January 3, 2026 at 9:53 AM
And message to every other leader in Latin America: that old United States that would kidnap you or kill you and destabilize your country at a whim? Yep it’s back.
You break it you bought it
January 3, 2026 at 9:42 AM
You break it you bought it
Move along nothing to see here
January 2, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Move along nothing to see here
I remember in ‘21 a colleague and I were in the EOP like “wait, who wants this policy to continue and why are we actually implementing it?” and then not getting a clear answer through end of 2024.
If the slate was wiped clean on Jan 20th, no one would have cared or noticed outside government.
If the slate was wiped clean on Jan 20th, no one would have cared or noticed outside government.
January 2, 2026 at 12:06 PM
I remember in ‘21 a colleague and I were in the EOP like “wait, who wants this policy to continue and why are we actually implementing it?” and then not getting a clear answer through end of 2024.
If the slate was wiped clean on Jan 20th, no one would have cared or noticed outside government.
If the slate was wiped clean on Jan 20th, no one would have cared or noticed outside government.
Look, I get that cynicism abounds, but I can’t begin to say how thankful I am that genuinely good folks like @cdelawalla.bsky.social exist. There are very few folks who will aggressively lean in to help random people they never met and likely will never meet, and she has proven to be one of them.
January 1, 2026 at 9:42 PM
Look, I get that cynicism abounds, but I can’t begin to say how thankful I am that genuinely good folks like @cdelawalla.bsky.social exist. There are very few folks who will aggressively lean in to help random people they never met and likely will never meet, and she has proven to be one of them.
What the heck
One last fucked up 2025 scoop—FEMA has begun issuing termination notices to CORE staff (appointed under the Stafford Act, ordinarily extended for 2 years) effective Jan 2, agency sources tell me. Sr leadership was asked if they could be given more notice but Acting Administrator Karen Evans said no.
January 1, 2026 at 5:51 PM
What the heck
I feel like an actual counter-majoritarian check would do things like (checks notes) ensure the protection of minority rights
Chief Justice John Roberts touted the independence of the federal judiciary as a “counter-majoritarian check” and urged Americans rattled by partisan politics to keep faith with the Constitution. https://cnn.it/3LsloyF
January 1, 2026 at 11:49 AM
I feel like an actual counter-majoritarian check would do things like (checks notes) ensure the protection of minority rights
Happy 2026. Here’s to a year of renewal.
January 1, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Happy 2026. Here’s to a year of renewal.
K-Pop Demon Hunters is my movie of the year.
It’s not even close, folks. A movie that my son loves that talks about personal growth and embracing one’s own flaws and eccentricities.
Sorry but I have to be the sappy parent.
It’s not even close, folks. A movie that my son loves that talks about personal growth and embracing one’s own flaws and eccentricities.
Sorry but I have to be the sappy parent.
January 1, 2026 at 3:32 AM
K-Pop Demon Hunters is my movie of the year.
It’s not even close, folks. A movie that my son loves that talks about personal growth and embracing one’s own flaws and eccentricities.
Sorry but I have to be the sappy parent.
It’s not even close, folks. A movie that my son loves that talks about personal growth and embracing one’s own flaws and eccentricities.
Sorry but I have to be the sappy parent.
NASA’s Largest Library Is Closing Amid Staff and Lab Cuts
www.nytimes.com
December 31, 2025 at 10:16 PM