Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
@janetbufton.ca
Canadian mum, 3D liberal in Babylon
Writing collected at janetbufton.ca
diversity dynamism democracy Detroit Lions
Elbows up.
Writing collected at janetbufton.ca
diversity dynamism democracy Detroit Lions
Elbows up.
Pinned
Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
@janetbufton.ca
· Jan 8
Democracy for liberal people
Market liberals need liberal democracy
www.janetbufton.ca
I've been working on a market liberal case for democracy. That case now spans four pieces, all of which are linked in my latest blog post.
ft most prominently Don Lavoie, Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social, Benjamin Constant, Adam Smith, and James Buchanan...
ft most prominently Don Lavoie, Kevin Elliott @kjephd.bsky.social, Benjamin Constant, Adam Smith, and James Buchanan...
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
What sustained the American administrative state? A huge unappreciated reserve of Republican good faith that evaporated around ten years ago, never to return.
December 27, 2025 at 3:09 PM
What sustained the American administrative state? A huge unappreciated reserve of Republican good faith that evaporated around ten years ago, never to return.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
The libertarian movement made a cogent criticism of American state power back when it observed that federal funding with strings attached could lead to a determined executive radically changing everything overnight.
Unfortunately now that it’s happening, there’s very little short term remedy.
Unfortunately now that it’s happening, there’s very little short term remedy.
Going over the past year of education-policy initiatives under the Trump admin, this notion of filial obligation actually stood out to me. From the draft of the policy review I just submitted:
December 27, 2025 at 3:02 PM
The libertarian movement made a cogent criticism of American state power back when it observed that federal funding with strings attached could lead to a determined executive radically changing everything overnight.
Unfortunately now that it’s happening, there’s very little short term remedy.
Unfortunately now that it’s happening, there’s very little short term remedy.
The stereotype is that Canada usually follows the U.S. into terrible politics. But this "heritage American" stuff is making me wonder whether there were not edgy pollsters but instead some serious racists around Stephen Harper ten years ago, and enough of us just assumed that couldn't be true.
December 27, 2025 at 1:52 PM
The stereotype is that Canada usually follows the U.S. into terrible politics. But this "heritage American" stuff is making me wonder whether there were not edgy pollsters but instead some serious racists around Stephen Harper ten years ago, and enough of us just assumed that couldn't be true.
Delicious.
Merry merry.
Merry merry.
RTÉ One on Instagram: "Is there anything @garron_music can’t do?! The voice of an angel 🥹👏🎄
#ChristmasInKilmainham"
44K likes, 1,899 comments - rteone on December 11, 2025: "Is there anything @garron_music can’t do?! The voice of an angel 🥹👏🎄
#ChristmasInKilmainham".
www.instagram.com
December 25, 2025 at 3:50 AM
Delicious.
Merry merry.
Merry merry.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
“prices work” is left-coded
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 23, 2025 at 2:44 PM
“prices work” is left-coded
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Funny Numbers
xkcd.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Daaaamn. Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com is making an excellent case for its fundraising campign:
www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...
1/
www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...
1/
Donate to The Liberal Currents Startup Fund, organized by Adam Gurri
To fight fascism we need opposition media with a backbone. Liberal Currents is that. Help… Adam Gurri needs your support for The Liberal Currents Startup Fund
www.gofundme.com
December 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Daaaamn. Liberal Currents @liberalcurrents.com is making an excellent case for its fundraising campign:
www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...
1/
www.gofundme.com/f/the-libera...
1/
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Take tariffs, for instance. In ordinary times, most reporters wouldn't be fixated on the issue. Some even like them. But seeing them rolled into a command and control agenda has negatively polarized people. It's handy having informed reporters who feel the tariff hatred in their bones, isn't it?
December 23, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Take tariffs, for instance. In ordinary times, most reporters wouldn't be fixated on the issue. Some even like them. But seeing them rolled into a command and control agenda has negatively polarized people. It's handy having informed reporters who feel the tariff hatred in their bones, isn't it?
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
IMO, this is an example of why diverse funding models for media is important. Private financial news will have different priorities and incentives than, say, a public broadcaster. But having those different perspectives minimizes the odds of stories falling through the cracks (or worse).
Even 5 years ago if you had told me CBS News would go this way whereas the WSJ wouldn’t it would have surprised me — ultimately I think purveyors of business news are the only ones insulated from these dynamics because when rich people are paying you for market-moving news you can’t mess around.
December 23, 2025 at 3:29 PM
IMO, this is an example of why diverse funding models for media is important. Private financial news will have different priorities and incentives than, say, a public broadcaster. But having those different perspectives minimizes the odds of stories falling through the cracks (or worse).
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
This, by @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com, is so good.
No Sweetheart, Favoritism Isn't Driving ‘The Great Feminization’, Modernity Is
And it’s a good thing for women and the world, contrary to claims of the neo-right’s new darling
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:11 AM
This, by @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com, is so good.
This review by @jkuznicki.bsky.social is just right. It's clear that this book is very stupid. It's clear that we shouldn't laugh or wave it off—this book is also very dangerous.
He also reminds us that we have the arguments against the ideas in this book, and that those arguments have won before.
He also reminds us that we have the arguments against the ideas in this book, and that those arguments have won before.
Reviewer Judge Words In Book: Bronze Age Mindset, reviewed
We can be more and better than conquerors and thieves.
www.liberalcurrents.com
December 23, 2025 at 1:14 PM
This review by @jkuznicki.bsky.social is just right. It's clear that this book is very stupid. It's clear that we shouldn't laugh or wave it off—this book is also very dangerous.
He also reminds us that we have the arguments against the ideas in this book, and that those arguments have won before.
He also reminds us that we have the arguments against the ideas in this book, and that those arguments have won before.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Thread
December 23, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Thread
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Word of the Day: Samizdat
All of these bootlegged copies of the 60 Minutes segment flooding my feed (saying, ‘Watch it quick! Before it disappears!’) makes me feel like I’m in the Soviet Union and just got some black market foreign newspaper I need to hide under a floorboard in my house.
This is where America is now
This is where America is now
December 23, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Word of the Day: Samizdat
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
The only thing you need to read on BAP, from @jkuznicki.bsky.social
“People say is racist book. Not wrong. They say is fascist book. Not wrong also.
They’ll say that the book is illiterate, but that’s where they’ll stumble. It’s not illiterate. It’s anti-literate.” www.liberalcurrents.com/reviewer-jud...
They’ll say that the book is illiterate, but that’s where they’ll stumble. It’s not illiterate. It’s anti-literate.” www.liberalcurrents.com/reviewer-jud...
Reviewer Judge Words In Book: Bronze Age Mindset, reviewed
We can be more and better than conquerors and thieves.
www.liberalcurrents.com
December 23, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The only thing you need to read on BAP, from @jkuznicki.bsky.social
This, by @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com, is so good.
No Sweetheart, Favoritism Isn't Driving ‘The Great Feminization’, Modernity Is
And it’s a good thing for women and the world, contrary to claims of the neo-right’s new darling
open.substack.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:11 AM
This, by @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com, is so good.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
If you're mad about what's going on at CBS right now, please consider helping us influence the media system for the better
America narrowly missed another major news network falling into Trump's personal patronage system. We need to fund independent media. Our funding goal is ambitious for a publication our size, but a rounding error compared corporations and men like Ellison. Help us meet it gofund.me/31dac76b6
December 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM
If you're mad about what's going on at CBS right now, please consider helping us influence the media system for the better
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
“If the standard for airing a story becomes ‘the government must agree to be interviewed,’ then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.”
Per NY Times’s Michael Grynbaum on X, this is Sharyn Alfonsi’s email to her “60 Minutes” colleagues in full:
December 22, 2025 at 4:41 AM
“If the standard for airing a story becomes ‘the government must agree to be interviewed,’ then the government effectively gains control over the 60 Minutes broadcast. We go from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state.”
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
For good citizenship, statistics is more important than calculus or geometry.
December 21, 2025 at 1:57 PM
For good citizenship, statistics is more important than calculus or geometry.
The children are helping to decorate the snowman-shaped cookies.
December 20, 2025 at 11:24 PM
The children are helping to decorate the snowman-shaped cookies.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
This piece is frankly overwhelming if you don't feel like you've been heard as you've worried over this for years.
It deserves to be read widely.
It deserves to be read widely.
those who predicted authoritarianism were both dismissed, & deeply misunderstood, by the media
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
The Americans Who Saw All This Coming—but Were Ignored and Maligned
Call them the Cassandras: the people—mostly not white and male—who smelled the fascism all over Trump from jump street. Why were they “alarmists,” and how did “anti-alarmism” become cool?
newrepublic.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This piece is frankly overwhelming if you don't feel like you've been heard as you've worried over this for years.
It deserves to be read widely.
It deserves to be read widely.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
This piece is frankly overwhelming if you don't feel like you've been heard as you've worried over this for years.
It deserves to be read widely.
It deserves to be read widely.
those who predicted authoritarianism were both dismissed, & deeply misunderstood, by the media
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
my latest for @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com/article/2042...
The Americans Who Saw All This Coming—but Were Ignored and Maligned
Call them the Cassandras: the people—mostly not white and male—who smelled the fascism all over Trump from jump street. Why were they “alarmists,” and how did “anti-alarmism” become cool?
newrepublic.com
December 18, 2025 at 4:22 PM
This piece is frankly overwhelming if you don't feel like you've been heard as you've worried over this for years.
It deserves to be read widely.
It deserves to be read widely.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
And Canada wants the US to show that it can honor a trade agreement in the first place.
The U.S. wants Canada to expand dairy market access for American products and lift provincial bans on U.S. alcohol as part of the upcoming review of CUSMA.
globalnews.ca/news/1158268...
globalnews.ca/news/1158268...
What does U.S. want from Canada to renew CUSMA? Trump’s trade rep has list - National | Globalnews.ca
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told members of Congress this week that next year's joint review 'will depend on the successful resolution' of several issues.
globalnews.ca
December 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
And Canada wants the US to show that it can honor a trade agreement in the first place.
Reposted by Janet Bufton 🍁🌻
Now this is an abstract.
December 18, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Now this is an abstract.