Daniel Elstein
@danielelstein.bsky.social
Philosopher at the University of Leeds, centrist dad. Research: meta-ethics, normative ethics, political philosophy.
One of the things which "sensible" immigration sceptics often say is that GDP increases from net immigration are illusory because only GDP per person really matters. But this is actually false, given that fiscal sustainability depends on the ratio of debt to GDP.
February 11, 2026 at 1:05 PM
One of the things which "sensible" immigration sceptics often say is that GDP increases from net immigration are illusory because only GDP per person really matters. But this is actually false, given that fiscal sustainability depends on the ratio of debt to GDP.
Look how Chomsky provides a classic example of how narcissists with persecution complexes are prone to sympathise with (other) bad people who have done unrelated bad things.
January 31, 2026 at 6:54 AM
Look how Chomsky provides a classic example of how narcissists with persecution complexes are prone to sympathise with (other) bad people who have done unrelated bad things.
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
There are no interests all white people share, that no not-white people have. There are no [not racist] examples of a British value or cultural practice or identity that must *by definition* exclude Black or Asian people
'Demography' or 'numbers' isn't a counter as there are no different interests
'Demography' or 'numbers' isn't a counter as there are no different interests
January 28, 2026 at 9:21 AM
There are no interests all white people share, that no not-white people have. There are no [not racist] examples of a British value or cultural practice or identity that must *by definition* exclude Black or Asian people
'Demography' or 'numbers' isn't a counter as there are no different interests
'Demography' or 'numbers' isn't a counter as there are no different interests
The point this post is making is essentially the positivist one that there can be morally bad laws, and so there can be behaviour that is obviously unobjectionable but nevertheless illegal. That is, of course, correct, which is why it is not so important whether Anne Frank was in Amsterdam legally.
Here is an example of a Dutch call-up paper for Jews to report to labor camps.
The Frank family ignored their call-up, meaning they were officially in Amsterdam illegally from this point on.
The Trump administration is doing Holocaust revisionism to avoid the possibility of empathy for migrants.
The Frank family ignored their call-up, meaning they were officially in Amsterdam illegally from this point on.
The Trump administration is doing Holocaust revisionism to avoid the possibility of empathy for migrants.
January 27, 2026 at 4:04 PM
The point this post is making is essentially the positivist one that there can be morally bad laws, and so there can be behaviour that is obviously unobjectionable but nevertheless illegal. That is, of course, correct, which is why it is not so important whether Anne Frank was in Amsterdam legally.
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
Other folks have already noted much of this, but I think the MAGA 'theory of victory' here is:
1) DHS provocations trigger a riot or attack on agents which
2) Leads to widespread civil unrest in many 'blue' cities so that
3) Trump can invoke the insurrection act and send in the troops...
1) DHS provocations trigger a riot or attack on agents which
2) Leads to widespread civil unrest in many 'blue' cities so that
3) Trump can invoke the insurrection act and send in the troops...
Curious if anyone has a plausible theory of victory for the administration if it were to invoke the Insurrection Act.
How does the administration "win" in such a scenario?
Best I can tell, it is magical thinking by a certain somebody at the White House, but maybe I'm missing something.
How does the administration "win" in such a scenario?
Best I can tell, it is magical thinking by a certain somebody at the White House, but maybe I'm missing something.
January 25, 2026 at 10:51 PM
Other folks have already noted much of this, but I think the MAGA 'theory of victory' here is:
1) DHS provocations trigger a riot or attack on agents which
2) Leads to widespread civil unrest in many 'blue' cities so that
3) Trump can invoke the insurrection act and send in the troops...
1) DHS provocations trigger a riot or attack on agents which
2) Leads to widespread civil unrest in many 'blue' cities so that
3) Trump can invoke the insurrection act and send in the troops...
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
Last term I tried an experiment: I walked into my Tech and Design Ethics class, admitted that I had *no idea* what to do about ChatGPT - so I would let them figure it out.
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
January 22, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Last term I tried an experiment: I walked into my Tech and Design Ethics class, admitted that I had *no idea* what to do about ChatGPT - so I would let them figure it out.
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
As in: their first project was to decide and write the ChatGPT policy for the class.
Here's what happened:
I agree with the original post, though I don't think it is in any way obviously true, in part because it is not obvious how to imagine the absence of laws.
I always knew lawyers were incompetent mathematicians. But this truly takes the cake.
Tell me you have absolutely zero understanding of public healthcare, history’s statistics and mathematics.
This might be the most arrogant and ignorant thing anyone has ever typed.
Tell me you have absolutely zero understanding of public healthcare, history’s statistics and mathematics.
This might be the most arrogant and ignorant thing anyone has ever typed.
January 22, 2026 at 11:30 PM
I agree with the original post, though I don't think it is in any way obviously true, in part because it is not obvious how to imagine the absence of laws.
There's a part of me that thinks there must be many Republicans in Congress who hate their country's international standing being trashed by a President who openly threatens war because he has not been given a Nobel Peace Prize. And they could just...remove him. But they won't.
January 19, 2026 at 11:26 AM
There's a part of me that thinks there must be many Republicans in Congress who hate their country's international standing being trashed by a President who openly threatens war because he has not been given a Nobel Peace Prize. And they could just...remove him. But they won't.
I see these stories about FIFA (now?!) being embarrassed about giving their "Peace Prize" to Trump, but really it looks like a more and more sensible decision. Their job is to run a football tournament and they don't have a reputation to ruin. Why not give a shiny bauble to the dangerous madman?
January 19, 2026 at 9:22 AM
I see these stories about FIFA (now?!) being embarrassed about giving their "Peace Prize" to Trump, but really it looks like a more and more sensible decision. Their job is to run a football tournament and they don't have a reputation to ruin. Why not give a shiny bauble to the dangerous madman?
"We’ll update with news of resignations as and when it arrives." Chef's kiss.
Who’s who at X, the deepfake porn site formerly known as Twitter
A look inside Elon Musk’s big tent
giftarticle.ft.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:49 PM
"We’ll update with news of resignations as and when it arrives." Chef's kiss.
On the Alaa El-Fattah case, it is possible to hold two thoughts together: (1) that he should not have been granted citizenship; and (2) that his citizenship should not be taken away now.
December 30, 2025 at 12:36 PM
On the Alaa El-Fattah case, it is possible to hold two thoughts together: (1) that he should not have been granted citizenship; and (2) that his citizenship should not be taken away now.
Look, as everyone knows, the only notable thing that the post-war Labour government ever did was pass the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act, which lies at the root of all the country's problems. Were Keir Hardie and Ramsay MacDonald NIMBYs? No, iirc correctly their motto was "Build, baby, build!"
I keep coming back to this bizarre claim. What do they think the Labour Party is? When was at it best? When it couldn’t win a majority or hold power for more than a couple of years? When it was torn apart and almost wiped out? Deeply weird stuff
One interesting nugget in this piece could explain the (otherwise baffling) appearance of Ramsay MacDonald in a 2024 Labour Party Election Broadcast
December 19, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Look, as everyone knows, the only notable thing that the post-war Labour government ever did was pass the 1947 Town and Country Planning Act, which lies at the root of all the country's problems. Were Keir Hardie and Ramsay MacDonald NIMBYs? No, iirc correctly their motto was "Build, baby, build!"
The ****** chutzpah of Stephen Miller to ask for kindness from others. Kudos to the photographer for firing back rather than gaping in incredulity.
The Vanity Fair photographer from the Susie Wiles story.
Holy. Shit.
www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
Holy. Shit.
www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/...
December 17, 2025 at 9:33 PM
The ****** chutzpah of Stephen Miller to ask for kindness from others. Kudos to the photographer for firing back rather than gaping in incredulity.
It's weird to present things as though the dangerousness of right-wing domination of Twitter doesn't depend on network effects.
IMO it's hard to combat the dangerousness of the right by participating in a platform where they aren't present.
I think the best way to explain the X vs Bluesky preference is whether a person thinks the left is more annoying than the right is dangerous.
The reason so many Noah Smiths end up on the X side of that equation is that while the left annoys them personally, the right mostly endangers other people.
The reason so many Noah Smiths end up on the X side of that equation is that while the left annoys them personally, the right mostly endangers other people.
December 15, 2025 at 7:20 PM
It's weird to present things as though the dangerousness of right-wing domination of Twitter doesn't depend on network effects.
This is a wrong and foolish decision by HMDT. Standing Together does very important work in trying to make space for peace-building. Whether or not you agree with their labelling of Israel's conduct in Gaza as genocidal, they should not be cut off in this way from mainstream Jewish organisations.
Holocaust Memorial Day organiser dismissed over link to grassroots Israeli group accusing state of genocide
EXCLUSIVE: Melanie Goldberg departs as Scottish support worker over link to Standing Together organisation
www.jewishnews.co.uk
December 13, 2025 at 10:58 AM
This is a wrong and foolish decision by HMDT. Standing Together does very important work in trying to make space for peace-building. Whether or not you agree with their labelling of Israel's conduct in Gaza as genocidal, they should not be cut off in this way from mainstream Jewish organisations.
I saw this initially without reading the context, and was like cool cool cool, Liam thinks the self is an illusion, no biggie.
I honestly don't buy it. The apparent continuity of conscious experience is a memory trick imo
For the billionth time, the transporter in Star Trek does not kill you and create a copy of you. The TNG episode Realm of Fear establishes that a person being transported is conscious for the entire process. Transporter duplicates like Riker and Boimler don't mean the original was destroyed.
December 12, 2025 at 7:57 AM
I saw this initially without reading the context, and was like cool cool cool, Liam thinks the self is an illusion, no biggie.
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
'Skull of St. Thomas Aquinas being transported to Fossanova Abbey.'
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
Photograph by Daniel Ibanez
December 10, 2025 at 5:10 PM
SKULL OF THOMAS AQUINAS: TAKE A LEFT NOW
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
PRIEST: No, the GPS says we have to keep going—
SKULL: I KNOW A SHORTCUT
PRIEST: Do you remember the last ti—
SKULL: FOR THOSE WITH FAITH, NO EVIDENCE IS NECESSARY; FOR THOSE WITHOUT IT, NO EVIDENCE WILL SUFFICE
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
"there's a new serif in town"
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:06 AM
"there's a new serif in town"
I've been thinking about this, and I wonder whether "being paid to have particular opinions" is exactly the core of the sophistry here. I suspect the deeper problem is that these people do not care about truth and do not care about intellectual virtues.
Two modest proposals:
Start calling people who are paid to have particular opinions sophists again.
Stop sharing, writing for, and participating in anything to do with the institute for arts and ideas (dunno who funds it, but what it's doing is putting a *philosophy* shine on reactionary thought)
Start calling people who are paid to have particular opinions sophists again.
Stop sharing, writing for, and participating in anything to do with the institute for arts and ideas (dunno who funds it, but what it's doing is putting a *philosophy* shine on reactionary thought)
December 10, 2025 at 10:38 AM
I've been thinking about this, and I wonder whether "being paid to have particular opinions" is exactly the core of the sophistry here. I suspect the deeper problem is that these people do not care about truth and do not care about intellectual virtues.
Wow, Elon Musk looks almost unrecognisable here, must be all the ketamine.
December 9, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Wow, Elon Musk looks almost unrecognisable here, must be all the ketamine.
A brief thread on the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal ruling. It seems to me a very sensible judgement, and I particularly liked what the ruling said about the application of the FWS Supreme Court ruling.
December 9, 2025 at 11:30 AM
A brief thread on the Sandie Peggie employment tribunal ruling. It seems to me a very sensible judgement, and I particularly liked what the ruling said about the application of the FWS Supreme Court ruling.
Not many people know this, but the so-called FIFA Prize in Economics is not a real FIFA prize because FIFA did not set it up in his will.
December 6, 2025 at 7:14 AM
Not many people know this, but the so-called FIFA Prize in Economics is not a real FIFA prize because FIFA did not set it up in his will.
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
Nigel Farage was a racist bully at school but Rachel Reeves won the wrong chess championship so who can say who is worse?
December 2, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Nigel Farage was a racist bully at school but Rachel Reeves won the wrong chess championship so who can say who is worse?
Many people are (rightly!) saying that Lizza's revelations about Nuzzi reflect very poorly on him, not least for only exposing her misconduct now. But the only way this kind of stuff gets revealed is when one awful person's hatred for another awful person outweighs their sense of self-preservation.
November 27, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Many people are (rightly!) saying that Lizza's revelations about Nuzzi reflect very poorly on him, not least for only exposing her misconduct now. But the only way this kind of stuff gets revealed is when one awful person's hatred for another awful person outweighs their sense of self-preservation.
Reposted by Daniel Elstein
I was talking to my parents the other night about where my worldview came from. I put it down to their influence when I was growing up, but my mother said it was more to do with all the German philosophy I read as a teen.
Classic question, isn’t it? Nietzsche versus nurture.
Classic question, isn’t it? Nietzsche versus nurture.
November 27, 2025 at 7:06 AM
I was talking to my parents the other night about where my worldview came from. I put it down to their influence when I was growing up, but my mother said it was more to do with all the German philosophy I read as a teen.
Classic question, isn’t it? Nietzsche versus nurture.
Classic question, isn’t it? Nietzsche versus nurture.