Collin Sullivan
@csullivan.bsky.social
Political science PhD candidate at Michigan: human rights, state repression, atrocity prevention, complex systems. he/him. Go (Oakland) A's 💚💛
90s rock songs as political science paper titles:
Only Happy When it Rains: Social Media Sentiment Analysis of Agricultural Subregions Experiencing Drought Using Rainfall as an Instrument
Only Happy When it Rains: Social Media Sentiment Analysis of Agricultural Subregions Experiencing Drought Using Rainfall as an Instrument
August 13, 2025 at 2:35 PM
90s rock songs as political science paper titles:
Only Happy When it Rains: Social Media Sentiment Analysis of Agricultural Subregions Experiencing Drought Using Rainfall as an Instrument
Only Happy When it Rains: Social Media Sentiment Analysis of Agricultural Subregions Experiencing Drought Using Rainfall as an Instrument
Reposted by Collin Sullivan
The arbitrary exercise of government power is the signature act of authoritarian regimes
The White House has ordered the US Dept. of Justice to prioritize denaturalization: voiding the citizenship of US citizens.
Who will it denaturalize? "Any" case that it "determines to be sufficiently important".
Point 10 leaves the criteria opaque and arbitrary.
substack.com/redirect/169...
Who will it denaturalize? "Any" case that it "determines to be sufficiently important".
Point 10 leaves the criteria opaque and arbitrary.
substack.com/redirect/169...
June 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
The arbitrary exercise of government power is the signature act of authoritarian regimes
Reposted by Collin Sullivan
The JCPOA was one of the greatest diplomatic achievements of the 21st century. Multiple nations, several powerful blocks, a ton of oversight and the entire time diplomats were working it out domestic American media & politicians were demonizing it, lying about it, and trying to sabotage it. They won
Reminder that none of this would've been possible if not for the neocons manipulating Trump's hatred of Obama to kill the JCPOA. From there, safeguards became unconstrained enrichment and all the scary things they're trotting out became possible.
Be careful buying what these guys are still selling.
Be careful buying what these guys are still selling.
June 22, 2025 at 5:38 AM
The JCPOA was one of the greatest diplomatic achievements of the 21st century. Multiple nations, several powerful blocks, a ton of oversight and the entire time diplomats were working it out domestic American media & politicians were demonizing it, lying about it, and trying to sabotage it. They won
One of the most important and clear charts you'll ever see.
June 22, 2025 at 1:26 AM
One of the most important and clear charts you'll ever see.
Reposted by Collin Sullivan
Doesn't even qualify this with references to ostensible violence and disorder, just says protest will be met with force. The authoritarianism is more open and brazen by the day.
Trump says anybody who protests the military parade on Sunday will be met with “very heavy force”
June 10, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Doesn't even qualify this with references to ostensible violence and disorder, just says protest will be met with force. The authoritarianism is more open and brazen by the day.
Sean Evans: You've argued that gender is a performance. Can you elaborate?
Judith Butler: Well gender cannot... *coughs* what the hell is this one?
SE: That's Angel of Death, it's made from Carolina Reaper peppers.
JB: *tears streaming down face* The acts constitute the... *wheezes* the identity
Judith Butler: Well gender cannot... *coughs* what the hell is this one?
SE: That's Angel of Death, it's made from Carolina Reaper peppers.
JB: *tears streaming down face* The acts constitute the... *wheezes* the identity
May 8, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Sean Evans: You've argued that gender is a performance. Can you elaborate?
Judith Butler: Well gender cannot... *coughs* what the hell is this one?
SE: That's Angel of Death, it's made from Carolina Reaper peppers.
JB: *tears streaming down face* The acts constitute the... *wheezes* the identity
Judith Butler: Well gender cannot... *coughs* what the hell is this one?
SE: That's Angel of Death, it's made from Carolina Reaper peppers.
JB: *tears streaming down face* The acts constitute the... *wheezes* the identity
They use high environmental and regulatory standards as a reason to believe that US-made products are safer and better-made, while dismantling those very environmental and regulatory standards.
This administration is happy to vary its argument depending on which is most convenient at the time.
1/2
This administration is happy to vary its argument depending on which is most convenient at the time.
1/2
Miller: "If you had a choice between a doll from China that might have lead paint from it that is not as well constructed, as a doll made in America that has a highly environmental and regulatory standard & those two products are both on Amazon, that yes, you probably would be willing to pay more."
May 1, 2025 at 4:59 PM
They use high environmental and regulatory standards as a reason to believe that US-made products are safer and better-made, while dismantling those very environmental and regulatory standards.
This administration is happy to vary its argument depending on which is most convenient at the time.
1/2
This administration is happy to vary its argument depending on which is most convenient at the time.
1/2
This is the latest, clearest signal that the United States, under Donald Trump, is thoroughly abandoning the idea of human rights. The US government will no longer be using diplomatic or economic pressure to improve the human rights practices of other states.
1/n
1/n
The State Department is changing its mind about what it calls human rights
The agency's annual human rights reports are being purged of references to prison conditions, political corruption and other abuses.
www.npr.org
April 18, 2025 at 4:13 PM
This is the latest, clearest signal that the United States, under Donald Trump, is thoroughly abandoning the idea of human rights. The US government will no longer be using diplomatic or economic pressure to improve the human rights practices of other states.
1/n
1/n
Every day there's a new announcement that's like, "Today all staff of the Division for the Prevention of Children Dying in Entirely Predictable and Preventable Ways, whose programs reduced childhood mortality by 99.978%, were dismissed. The division represented 0.00001% of the federal budget."
The entire permanent staff of the Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice was laid off. This division addresses issues such as asthma and air pollution, climate change and health, childhood lead poisoning, and cancer clusters.
April 5, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Every day there's a new announcement that's like, "Today all staff of the Division for the Prevention of Children Dying in Entirely Predictable and Preventable Ways, whose programs reduced childhood mortality by 99.978%, were dismissed. The division represented 0.00001% of the federal budget."
The garbage trucks that collect in my neighborhood have motvational slogans printed in huge letters in Comic Sans on their sides and it surprises me every time. I just saw one roll by that says, "The key to success is focusing on goals, not obstacles." And it's like, thanks, garbage truck.
April 4, 2025 at 2:38 PM
The garbage trucks that collect in my neighborhood have motvational slogans printed in huge letters in Comic Sans on their sides and it surprises me every time. I just saw one roll by that says, "The key to success is focusing on goals, not obstacles." And it's like, thanks, garbage truck.
Open authoritarianism. Right out of the textbooks.
March 30, 2025 at 8:08 PM
In addition to the general horror and depravity related to deporting people for their beliefs, the case of Kseniia Petrova is also a textbook non-refoulement case. American and international laws prohibit sending a person to a country where they are likely to be tortured, persecuted, or killed.
jesus christ they want her dead
Kseniia Petrova, a Russian scientist at Harvard Medical School, was detained at Logan Airport after returning from France and sent to an ICE detention in Louisiana, The Insider reports.
A big critic of Putin and the war in Ukraine, she may now be deported to Russia.
A big critic of Putin and the war in Ukraine, she may now be deported to Russia.
March 28, 2025 at 3:57 PM
In addition to the general horror and depravity related to deporting people for their beliefs, the case of Kseniia Petrova is also a textbook non-refoulement case. American and international laws prohibit sending a person to a country where they are likely to be tortured, persecuted, or killed.
This led me to search for a "tooth fairy index," and thank goodness, it exists and is still going strong (and is still interesting!).
March 27, 2025 at 4:18 PM
This led me to search for a "tooth fairy index," and thank goodness, it exists and is still going strong (and is still interesting!).
Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student on a valid student visa, has been detained by masked agents and is in the process of being deported because she had been flagged for "anti-Israeli activism" based on an op-ed she coauthored.
Her case is as clear an example of political imprisonment as you'll find.
Her case is as clear an example of political imprisonment as you'll find.
Not sure if this has been shared here yet, but this is video of Rumeysa Ozturk's arrest posted by WCVB. It's terrifying.
March 27, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Rumeysa Ozturk, a PhD student on a valid student visa, has been detained by masked agents and is in the process of being deported because she had been flagged for "anti-Israeli activism" based on an op-ed she coauthored.
Her case is as clear an example of political imprisonment as you'll find.
Her case is as clear an example of political imprisonment as you'll find.
Dude's welcoming anyone into the group chat "with arms wide open," am I right?
Worth noting that Mike Waltz’s brother-in-law is the lead singer of Creed.
March 25, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Dude's welcoming anyone into the group chat "with arms wide open," am I right?
Quick 🧵 on Signal: You may be reading the coverage of the national security principals' group chat and wondering, "Why are news reports referring to Signal as an unsecured commercial app? I thought it was 'secure.' Is it?"
Well, yes and no. Like so much in digital security, it depends!
1/n
Well, yes and no. Like so much in digital security, it depends!
1/n
March 25, 2025 at 3:01 PM
Quick 🧵 on Signal: You may be reading the coverage of the national security principals' group chat and wondering, "Why are news reports referring to Signal as an unsecured commercial app? I thought it was 'secure.' Is it?"
Well, yes and no. Like so much in digital security, it depends!
1/n
Well, yes and no. Like so much in digital security, it depends!
1/n
Apropos of, umm, nothing...
Signal's a great app to keep your communications secure, but make sure you know the identities of the users in your group chats.
Our SSD guide on how to use Signal includes guidance on managing your group chat preferences.
Our SSD guide on how to use Signal includes guidance on managing your group chat preferences.
How to: Use Signal
Download location: Google Play Store, Apple App Store
System requirements: Android 5 or later, iOS 13 or later
Version used in this guide: Android: 7.0. iPhone: 7.0
License: GPLv3
Level: Beginner
Time...
ssd.eff.org
March 24, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Apropos of, umm, nothing...
I used to really love the Niemöller poem, but it hasn't sat right with me for a long time, and this is why.
We should stand with vulnerable and targeted people even if we're not next in line.
We should stand with vulnerable and targeted people even if we're not next in line.
The problem I have with that much-quoted Martin Niemöller poem is that unjust things happening to other people is bad regardless of whether they may eventually happen to us.
March 24, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I used to really love the Niemöller poem, but it hasn't sat right with me for a long time, and this is why.
We should stand with vulnerable and targeted people even if we're not next in line.
We should stand with vulnerable and targeted people even if we're not next in line.
Me the next time a student asks me what "selecting on the dependent variable" means and why it's bad.
"Can eels make me a better baseball player?" I hear you ask. A fair question!
Lou Gerhig used to catch eels in Long Island Sound, & then his mom would pickle them for him to snack on during games.
His teammates ate them too, thinking eels might be the secret to his success.
🧪🗃️⚾
Lou Gerhig used to catch eels in Long Island Sound, & then his mom would pickle them for him to snack on during games.
His teammates ate them too, thinking eels might be the secret to his success.
🧪🗃️⚾
March 18, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Me the next time a student asks me what "selecting on the dependent variable" means and why it's bad.
Scary thought I had yesterday: One way around the 22nd Amendment's prohibition ("No person shall be *elected* to the office of the President more than twice") would be for Trump to run in the VP spot with the understanding that if that ticket won, he would assume the presidency by resignation.
March 16, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Scary thought I had yesterday: One way around the 22nd Amendment's prohibition ("No person shall be *elected* to the office of the President more than twice") would be for Trump to run in the VP spot with the understanding that if that ticket won, he would assume the presidency by resignation.
This is a confirmed recent change. See the original version in the Wayback Machine (web.archive.org/web/20250000...), which does not include DEI in the URL. The old address now redirects to the URL that does include DEI. The updated URL was first captured yesterday (web.archive.org/web/20250000...).
March 16, 2025 at 5:11 PM
This is a confirmed recent change. See the original version in the Wayback Machine (web.archive.org/web/20250000...), which does not include DEI in the URL. The old address now redirects to the URL that does include DEI. The updated URL was first captured yesterday (web.archive.org/web/20250000...).
You'll not find a clearer example of Orwellian doublethink than referring to policies and guidelines that require or promote "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income" as "forced discrimination programs."
March 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
You'll not find a clearer example of Orwellian doublethink than referring to policies and guidelines that require or promote "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income" as "forced discrimination programs."
Reposted by Collin Sullivan
ABC News has now fully taken down the old 538 website, including all interactive projects since 2014. Aside from erasing history this prevents access to publicly released data, including raw polls, averages, model estimates & story dta. Totally unacceptable for a company (allegedly) doing journalism
March 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
ABC News has now fully taken down the old 538 website, including all interactive projects since 2014. Aside from erasing history this prevents access to publicly released data, including raw polls, averages, model estimates & story dta. Totally unacceptable for a company (allegedly) doing journalism
The playbook here seems pretty clear: gut FEMA, tell states that emergency management is up to them, and when a disaster hits, condition federal assistance on policy concessions.
More than a dozen senior leaders at FEMA have been fired or have quit under President Trump, weeks ahead of hurricane season.
Senior Leaders Are Leaving FEMA
Along with about 1,000 rank-and-file workers, FEMA is losing some of the managers most experienced in handling emergency efforts.
www.nytimes.com
February 28, 2025 at 1:51 AM
The playbook here seems pretty clear: gut FEMA, tell states that emergency management is up to them, and when a disaster hits, condition federal assistance on policy concessions.