Eelco van der Maat
@evandermaat.bsky.social
Tenured scholar of genocide, authoritarian politics, and elite rivalry at Leiden University. Argue that mass killing is driven by elite rivalry in authoritarian regimes. Dad to two terrible little dictators. Husband and co-conspirator.
Pinned
Very happy that my new book, 'Elite Rivalry, Mass Killing and Genocide in Authoritarian Regimes: Why Autocrats Kill' has been published by Routledge! The flyer has a discount code. Many thanks to Stathis Kalyvas, Philip Roessler, and Alex Hinton for their kind endorsements. 🧵 Shares appreciated. 1/
Looks huge on a map.
Please everyone stop writing articles about "defense" or "economic" reasons to occupy Greenland, that's all irrelevant
January 10, 2026 at 9:49 PM
Looks huge on a map.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.
In the video that the shooter took, which I believe was leaked to be exculpatory, he appears to yell “fucking bitch” after he shoots Renee Good.
January 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
they didn’t leak it to make the shooter look innocent, but to make the victim look guilty. not guilty of a crime. guilty of having a visibly queer wife. guilty of liberalism. guilty of opposing the regime. they don’t seek to exonerate themselves, only to demonstrate who deserves to die.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
you hate chomsky for posing with bannon, i hate chomsky for denying genocides going back decades we are not the same
December 13, 2025 at 9:15 PM
you hate chomsky for posing with bannon, i hate chomsky for denying genocides going back decades we are not the same
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Belangrijk verhaal. Wordt dit weer een NACO? Netherlands Always Chickens Out? Je kunt stoer praten over digitale soevereiniteit, maar als je dit soort basisvoorzieningen niet op orde hebt, blijven dat lege woorden. www.ftm.nl/artikelen/am...
Amerikanen hebben straks wél toegang tot DigiD – ondanks belofte van staatssecretaris
Het IT-bedrijf achter DigiD komt mogelijk in Amerikaanse handen. Volgens staatssecretaris Eddie van Marum blijft DigiD desondanks ‘gewoon’ Nederlands en krijgen de Amerikanen geen toegang tot de perso...
www.ftm.nl
December 11, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Belangrijk verhaal. Wordt dit weer een NACO? Netherlands Always Chickens Out? Je kunt stoer praten over digitale soevereiniteit, maar als je dit soort basisvoorzieningen niet op orde hebt, blijven dat lege woorden. www.ftm.nl/artikelen/am...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
November 30, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Senator Kelly is correct.
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Plus a Public Service Announcement:
KEY section of Department of Defense's Law of War Manual is 18.3.2.1.
The VERY rule on the "requirement" to refuse illegal orders gives as its paradigmatic example of what is "clearly illegal:
"orders to fire upon the shipwrecked."
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Friends and colleagues at Leiden Uni are organizing a discussion on a lesser known and followed case, so do join and learn more. #Genocide #MassViolence www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
Uyghur genocide
This Symposium aims to raise awareness among students about the Uyghur genocide currently happening in the Xinjiang region, perpetuated by the Chinese government. We will discuss what are the events t...
www.universiteitleiden.nl
November 24, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Friends and colleagues at Leiden Uni are organizing a discussion on a lesser known and followed case, so do join and learn more. #Genocide #MassViolence www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Join us for this unique symposium highlighting Uyghur voices at Universiteit Leiden. We will examine issues like the Uyghur detention camps, mass sterilization, surveillance, and forced labor. Plus: the role of NGOs in supporting Uyghurs and show students how they can take action for Uyghur rights.
November 21, 2025 at 8:19 AM
Join us for this unique symposium highlighting Uyghur voices at Universiteit Leiden. We will examine issues like the Uyghur detention camps, mass sterilization, surveillance, and forced labor. Plus: the role of NGOs in supporting Uyghurs and show students how they can take action for Uyghur rights.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Are you conducting research combining qualitative cross-case methods (comparative case studies or QCA) with process tracing? ➡️ ** We are looking to show-case your work** ⬅️
🧵 1/
🧵 1/
November 11, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Are you conducting research combining qualitative cross-case methods (comparative case studies or QCA) with process tracing? ➡️ ** We are looking to show-case your work** ⬅️
🧵 1/
🧵 1/
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
This is as bleak as it gets:
‘China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show’ www.bbc.com/news/article...
‘China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show’ www.bbc.com/news/article...
China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show
Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.
www.bbc.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:25 AM
This is as bleak as it gets:
‘China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show’ www.bbc.com/news/article...
‘China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show’ www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Er zijn uitstekende rapporten die tonen dat Nederlandse verkiezingen onder experts en kiezers breed vertrouwen genieten.
www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-...
Wat helpt zijn onze politieke cultuur, de evenredigheid, de decentrale organisatie, het stemmen met potlood, en de telling door vrijwilligers.
www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-...
Wat helpt zijn onze politieke cultuur, de evenredigheid, de decentrale organisatie, het stemmen met potlood, en de telling door vrijwilligers.
October 31, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Er zijn uitstekende rapporten die tonen dat Nederlandse verkiezingen onder experts en kiezers breed vertrouwen genieten.
www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-...
Wat helpt zijn onze politieke cultuur, de evenredigheid, de decentrale organisatie, het stemmen met potlood, en de telling door vrijwilligers.
www.kiesraad.nl/adviezen-en-...
Wat helpt zijn onze politieke cultuur, de evenredigheid, de decentrale organisatie, het stemmen met potlood, en de telling door vrijwilligers.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
On the left, the refurbished Lincoln bathroom. On the right, picture I took in Saddam Hussein's palace in Basra in 2005.
October 31, 2025 at 5:57 PM
On the left, the refurbished Lincoln bathroom. On the right, picture I took in Saddam Hussein's palace in Basra in 2005.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
New, from me: Trump is prioritizing paying the armed forces over other federal employees during a shutdown. He is trying to win over the rank and file even as he tells military leaders to target “the enemy within.” 🧵
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
The risks of letting Trump become the military paymaster
Trump will demand their loyalty in return
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
New, from me: Trump is prioritizing paying the armed forces over other federal employees during a shutdown. He is trying to win over the rank and file even as he tells military leaders to target “the enemy within.” 🧵
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
October 23, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Against Publishing: universonline.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Preprints are read, shared, and cited, yet still dismissed as incomplete until blessed by a publisher. I argue that the true measure of scholarship lies in open exchange, not in the industry’s gatekeeping of what counts as published.
Preprints are read, shared, and cited, yet still dismissed as incomplete until blessed by a publisher. I argue that the true measure of scholarship lies in open exchange, not in the industry’s gatekeeping of what counts as published.
October 14, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Against Publishing: universonline.nl/nieuws/2025/...
Preprints are read, shared, and cited, yet still dismissed as incomplete until blessed by a publisher. I argue that the true measure of scholarship lies in open exchange, not in the industry’s gatekeeping of what counts as published.
Preprints are read, shared, and cited, yet still dismissed as incomplete until blessed by a publisher. I argue that the true measure of scholarship lies in open exchange, not in the industry’s gatekeeping of what counts as published.
Authoritarian regimes go to great lengths to shut down coordination. The Trump regime cannot do so yet. Coordination is notoriously hard, but still very much possible to defeat the regime's attempts at authoritarian take-over.
this is a further sign of weakness, not strength, imo. It's not the red state publics that they needed to set off a general stampede. It's places like MIT. Turning this into a red state thing makes it _less_ likely to spread www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/o...
October 14, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Authoritarian regimes go to great lengths to shut down coordination. The Trump regime cannot do so yet. Coordination is notoriously hard, but still very much possible to defeat the regime's attempts at authoritarian take-over.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
i desperately want everyone involved in the destruction of USAID to have to, st the very least, answer to the american people for the suffering and misery they have caused apnews.com/article/myan...
Starving children screaming for food as US aid cuts unleash devastation and death across Myanmar
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said “no one has died" because of his government’s decision to gut its foreign aid program.
apnews.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:59 PM
i desperately want everyone involved in the destruction of USAID to have to, st the very least, answer to the american people for the suffering and misery they have caused apnews.com/article/myan...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
Przeworski says it cleanly, clearly, and convincingly.
What then must we do?
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...
What then must we do?
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...
September 27, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Przeworski says it cleanly, clearly, and convincingly.
What then must we do?
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...
What then must we do?
www.dissentmagazine.org/article/how-...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
⬇️ 100% dit! ⬇️
"Het idee dat iedere ideologie die als mening wordt gepresenteerd een podium zou moeten krijgen op de universiteit, is een karikatuur van de academische vrijheid"
www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...
"Het idee dat iedere ideologie die als mening wordt gepresenteerd een podium zou moeten krijgen op de universiteit, is een karikatuur van de academische vrijheid"
www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...
Opinie: De universiteit is geen talkshowtafel
De druk op academische vrijheid komt niet vanuit studenten, maar vanuit politieke partijen die zich willen bemoeien met de inhoud van colleges. Ook media dragen daar aan bij door onvoldoende kritisch ...
www.volkskrant.nl
September 25, 2025 at 7:17 AM
⬇️ 100% dit! ⬇️
"Het idee dat iedere ideologie die als mening wordt gepresenteerd een podium zou moeten krijgen op de universiteit, is een karikatuur van de academische vrijheid"
www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...
"Het idee dat iedere ideologie die als mening wordt gepresenteerd een podium zou moeten krijgen op de universiteit, is een karikatuur van de academische vrijheid"
www.volkskrant.nl/columns-opin...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
shit ain’t over til it’s over
September 22, 2025 at 8:53 AM
shit ain’t over til it’s over
This is good advice.
There'll be no winners in authoritarianism. All elements of US society—including the GOP and large corporations—are unequipped to thrive under authoritarianism. Mobilization and coordination is far less costly today than it will be tomorrow.
open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
There'll be no winners in authoritarianism. All elements of US society—including the GOP and large corporations—are unequipped to thrive under authoritarianism. Mobilization and coordination is far less costly today than it will be tomorrow.
open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
"Wars Are Not Won by Evacuations”: A Historian’s Action Plan
Table of Contents
open.substack.com
September 19, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This is good advice.
There'll be no winners in authoritarianism. All elements of US society—including the GOP and large corporations—are unequipped to thrive under authoritarianism. Mobilization and coordination is far less costly today than it will be tomorrow.
open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
There'll be no winners in authoritarianism. All elements of US society—including the GOP and large corporations—are unequipped to thrive under authoritarianism. Mobilization and coordination is far less costly today than it will be tomorrow.
open.substack.com/pub/alexisco...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
August 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
The authoritarian checklist
It is time to admit that America is no longer a functioning democracy
donmoynihan.substack.com
August 28, 2025 at 1:19 PM
New, from me:
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
America is no longer a functioning democracy. It is a competitive authoritarian system, hurtling rapidly toward authoritarianism.
This was a hard piece to write but we can't move forward if we don’t acknowledge where we are.
donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-author...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
"Trump's objective—which is aligned with the interests of certain US technology companies—is to implement regime change in Europe." — @alexandrageese.bsky.social
Alexandra is, of course, entirely right — and it's high time to push back. www.techpolicy.press/europe-canno...
Alexandra is, of course, entirely right — and it's high time to push back. www.techpolicy.press/europe-canno...
Europe Cannot Wait to Fight Trump’s Assault on Democracy | TechPolicy.Press
Trump’s goal, aligned with the interests of some US tech companies, is to push for regime change in Europe, writes MEP Alexandra Geese.
www.techpolicy.press
August 28, 2025 at 10:13 AM
"Trump's objective—which is aligned with the interests of certain US technology companies—is to implement regime change in Europe." — @alexandrageese.bsky.social
Alexandra is, of course, entirely right — and it's high time to push back. www.techpolicy.press/europe-canno...
Alexandra is, of course, entirely right — and it's high time to push back. www.techpolicy.press/europe-canno...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
My NYT op-ed this morning
I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
Opinion | I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It.
www.nytimes.com
July 15, 2025 at 11:54 AM
My NYT op-ed this morning
I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
I’m a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See It. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/15/o...
Reposted by Eelco van der Maat
A "brief document meant to detail GHF’s mission did not meet “requirements for Safe and Accountable programming,” the review said."
“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said...asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.
“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said...asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.
July 11, 2025 at 5:43 PM
A "brief document meant to detail GHF’s mission did not meet “requirements for Safe and Accountable programming,” the review said."
“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said...asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.
“GHF must explain how it will Do No Harm,” USAID said...asking the group to provide “specific details” of plans to ensure safety, access, and accountability.