Janet Watson
@janetskwatson.bsky.social
History professor at UConn, mother, knitter, long COVID and cardiac arrest survivor. Author, Fighting Different Wars. Be kind, stand strong, and aim for democracy. Cats. Personal account.
Pinned
Janet Watson
@janetskwatson.bsky.social
· Oct 21
Once again: no one told me when I was in grad school that becoming a historian of 20th century Europe would mean I would need to convince people that Nazis were (and are) bad.
I really thought that was a given.
I really thought that was a given.
We study history not just to learn about the past but to learn how to think about past, present, and future.
History is a discipline.
Its skills have to be learned and practiced.
History is a discipline.
Its skills have to be learned and practiced.
"it doesn't matter who saw trump's authoritarianism coming, what matters is what we do now"
the *point* of thinking critically about the past is to inform our strategy going forward
the *point* of thinking critically about the past is to inform our strategy going forward
February 1, 2026 at 9:45 PM
We study history not just to learn about the past but to learn how to think about past, present, and future.
History is a discipline.
Its skills have to be learned and practiced.
History is a discipline.
Its skills have to be learned and practiced.
An interesting semester to be teaching 20th/21st century European history
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever: “We depended on the big stick of the United States — and now we see that the man with the big stick can also use it against us.
“We have never seen this before: that the United States…dares to threaten us with the big stick.
“This is a turning point.”
“We have never seen this before: that the United States…dares to threaten us with the big stick.
“This is a turning point.”
February 1, 2026 at 7:12 PM
An interesting semester to be teaching 20th/21st century European history
Geno Auriemma is the best halftime coach ever.
Period.
Period.
February 1, 2026 at 7:06 PM
Geno Auriemma is the best halftime coach ever.
Period.
Period.
There it is
February 1, 2026 at 4:47 PM
There it is
Reposted by Janet Watson
The pure cruelty of putting a five year old through all this for absolutely no benefit to anyone or anything
BREAKING... and Thank God...
5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, father board plane for Minneapolis after detention center release - ABC News abcnews.go.com/amp/US/5-yea...
5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, father board plane for Minneapolis after detention center release - ABC News abcnews.go.com/amp/US/5-yea...
5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, father board plane for Minneapolis after detention center release
A federal judge on Saturday ordered that the pair be released.
abcnews.go.com
February 1, 2026 at 3:46 PM
The pure cruelty of putting a five year old through all this for absolutely no benefit to anyone or anything
Reposted by Janet Watson
In much of Europe, they're focusing on Epstein's deep ties with Moscow and his Russian intelligence service handlers, the strange five-year gap in the life of Melania Knauss when she appears to have frequently been in Moscow, and Epstein's other foreign intelligence service ties.
February 1, 2026 at 3:45 PM
In much of Europe, they're focusing on Epstein's deep ties with Moscow and his Russian intelligence service handlers, the strange five-year gap in the life of Melania Knauss when she appears to have frequently been in Moscow, and Epstein's other foreign intelligence service ties.
Reposted by Janet Watson
straight up Gestapo shit
January 31, 2026 at 8:54 PM
straight up Gestapo shit
Reposted by Janet Watson
As we're sifting through the latest Epstein Files release with all the bombshells about Elon, the Trump administration and even the new CBS News Zoo Crew, please remember that they still haven't released half of what they were supposed to release.
January 31, 2026 at 4:09 PM
As we're sifting through the latest Epstein Files release with all the bombshells about Elon, the Trump administration and even the new CBS News Zoo Crew, please remember that they still haven't released half of what they were supposed to release.
Reposted by Janet Watson
I keep thinking again, in light of the latest Epstein files dump, about how MeToo “went too far.”
January 31, 2026 at 3:43 PM
I keep thinking again, in light of the latest Epstein files dump, about how MeToo “went too far.”
My Congressperson is a co-sponsor.
Is yours?
If not, why not?
Is yours?
If not, why not?
The list of co-sponsors for impeaching Kristi Noem has been updated for the first time in a few days Now up to 181, notably including:
@hoyer.house.gov @pelosi.house.gov and @repjamesclyburn.bsky.social
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
@hoyer.house.gov @pelosi.house.gov and @repjamesclyburn.bsky.social
www.congress.gov/bill/119th-c...
www.congress.gov
January 31, 2026 at 3:37 PM
My Congressperson is a co-sponsor.
Is yours?
If not, why not?
Is yours?
If not, why not?
Reposted by Janet Watson
ICE and CBP agents seem to enjoy gratuitously breaking glass—from car windows to store fronts to homes. It’s an expression of unchecked power and dominance: “We’re in charge. We break and shatter what we want.”
And nights of broken glass have been a harbinger of worse to come.
And nights of broken glass have been a harbinger of worse to come.
January 31, 2026 at 1:51 PM
ICE and CBP agents seem to enjoy gratuitously breaking glass—from car windows to store fronts to homes. It’s an expression of unchecked power and dominance: “We’re in charge. We break and shatter what we want.”
And nights of broken glass have been a harbinger of worse to come.
And nights of broken glass have been a harbinger of worse to come.
Reposted by Janet Watson
“An administration official gave away the game to Punchbowl News, admitting that these “de-escalatory measures” are about placating Senate Democrats so they don’t seize this moment to demand restrictions on ICE as part of any government funding package.”
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
Donald Trump Is Frightened
Trump wants to appear eager to minimize out-of-control clashes between government militias and protesters. But he doesn’t want to stop the things causing those clashes in the first place.
newrepublic.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:03 PM
“An administration official gave away the game to Punchbowl News, admitting that these “de-escalatory measures” are about placating Senate Democrats so they don’t seize this moment to demand restrictions on ICE as part of any government funding package.”
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
Reposted by Janet Watson
It's a complete policy failure that 3 men es control basically all of social media, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Larry Ellison. They control what we see, what we can share, and ultimately how we perceive reality. This is too much power on too few hands. These companies must be broken up.
January 28, 2026 at 1:47 PM
It's a complete policy failure that 3 men es control basically all of social media, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Larry Ellison. They control what we see, what we can share, and ultimately how we perceive reality. This is too much power on too few hands. These companies must be broken up.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Holy moly this chart: Cumulative US measles cases
January 28, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Holy moly this chart: Cumulative US measles cases
Reposted by Janet Watson
If they ban whistles switch to cowbells. It'll be fun for all the Gen Xers.
Because we need more cowbell.
Because we need more cowbell.
January 28, 2026 at 12:58 AM
If they ban whistles switch to cowbells. It'll be fun for all the Gen Xers.
Because we need more cowbell.
Because we need more cowbell.
This is just what I needed right now:
January 28, 2026 at 1:17 AM
This is just what I needed right now:
This is very much worth the small amount of your time it will take you to read it
I wrote about my childhood friend Alexi Pretti. Please read it and share it and remember him as a human being. @theverge.com
I grew up with Alex Pretti
The kind-hearted ICU nurse shot by ICE agents was my childhood best friend.
www.theverge.com
January 27, 2026 at 11:19 PM
This is very much worth the small amount of your time it will take you to read it
Reposted by Janet Watson
“The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once.” — @adamserwer.bsky.social
Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong
The pushback against ICE exposed a series of mistaken assumptions.
www.theatlantic.com
January 27, 2026 at 12:27 PM
“The secret fear of the morally depraved is that virtue is actually common, and that they’re the ones who are alone. In Minnesota, all of the ideological cornerstones of MAGA have been proved false at once.” — @adamserwer.bsky.social
Reposted by Janet Watson
if bovino is out and conservatives are turning on noem then there is a real opportunity to demand that miller resign too.
January 27, 2026 at 1:07 AM
if bovino is out and conservatives are turning on noem then there is a real opportunity to demand that miller resign too.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Trump is nothing if not ready to sacrifice anyone and anything in order to save his own ass and the single most important thing that could happen right now is someone convincing him that the biggest driver of his unpopularity is not just Bovino and Noem but Stephen Miller personally
Feels like Trump is pretty much unconditionally surrendering as support collapses
January 27, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Trump is nothing if not ready to sacrifice anyone and anything in order to save his own ass and the single most important thing that could happen right now is someone convincing him that the biggest driver of his unpopularity is not just Bovino and Noem but Stephen Miller personally
Reposted by Janet Watson
if we ever lose hope, may we never lose our
humanity
humanity
January 26, 2026 at 12:34 PM
if we ever lose hope, may we never lose our
humanity
humanity
Reposted by Janet Watson
imgaine getting sent packing with your ass in your own two hands by some of the nicest people in the world and then showing up in a city that is famous for booing santa claus
January 26, 2026 at 3:36 AM
imgaine getting sent packing with your ass in your own two hands by some of the nicest people in the world and then showing up in a city that is famous for booing santa claus
Reposted by Janet Watson
Reporter: You received a letter from AG Pam Bondi making several demands….
Walz: I would just give a pro tip to the AG. There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those
Walz: I would just give a pro tip to the AG. There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those
January 25, 2026 at 7:31 PM
Reporter: You received a letter from AG Pam Bondi making several demands….
Walz: I would just give a pro tip to the AG. There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those
Walz: I would just give a pro tip to the AG. There's 2 million documents in the Epstein files we're still waiting on. Go ahead and work on those
Reposted by Janet Watson
CBP chief Bovino has confirmed that the officers who executed Alex Pretti in the street yesterday are not only *not on administrative leave,* they have all been reassigned to other jurisdictions and are all on the street today.
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
January 25, 2026 at 8:01 PM
CBP chief Bovino has confirmed that the officers who executed Alex Pretti in the street yesterday are not only *not on administrative leave,* they have all been reassigned to other jurisdictions and are all on the street today.
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
This is totally unheard of for any officer-involved shooting
Reposted by Janet Watson
Murphy on Bovino: "That was a bone-chilling interview. I was shaking while I was listening to it, in large part bc it takes just an unbelievable amount of gall to lie to the American public. Everybody saw that video ... it should freak the public out that the Trump administration lies this easily"
January 25, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Murphy on Bovino: "That was a bone-chilling interview. I was shaking while I was listening to it, in large part bc it takes just an unbelievable amount of gall to lie to the American public. Everybody saw that video ... it should freak the public out that the Trump administration lies this easily"