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.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Our founders, though deeply flawed, understood that democracy requires an informed citizenry and a government accountable to it people. That’s why the press is the only profession protected by the Constitution. It’s also why autocrats and oligarchs seek to control and destroy it.
February 4, 2026 at 8:58 PM
Our founders, though deeply flawed, understood that democracy requires an informed citizenry and a government accountable to it people. That’s why the press is the only profession protected by the Constitution. It’s also why autocrats and oligarchs seek to control and destroy it.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont in his State of the State address: “ICE, everywhere you go uninvited, violence follows. Go home! We’re keeping our Connecticut safe without you.”
Huge standing ovation from Dems; GOP stays seated, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora shakes his head.
Huge standing ovation from Dems; GOP stays seated, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora shakes his head.
February 4, 2026 at 5:48 PM
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont in his State of the State address: “ICE, everywhere you go uninvited, violence follows. Go home! We’re keeping our Connecticut safe without you.”
Huge standing ovation from Dems; GOP stays seated, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora shakes his head.
Huge standing ovation from Dems; GOP stays seated, House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora shakes his head.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Gayle Rubin's The Traffic in Women (1975) remains the text that decodes the world of elite men in financial and corporate circles. These men traded access to girls between themselves to lubricate the bonds of friendship. Sexuality was a status symbol for other men to appreciate.
an absolutely brutal read, but an illuminating one.
I studied the latest Epstein files. As a woman, this is what I felt
They show a hidden world oiled by porn-saturated misogyny. I spent two days reading them
www.thetimes.com
February 4, 2026 at 4:40 PM
Gayle Rubin's The Traffic in Women (1975) remains the text that decodes the world of elite men in financial and corporate circles. These men traded access to girls between themselves to lubricate the bonds of friendship. Sexuality was a status symbol for other men to appreciate.
Reposted by Janet Watson
The Trump administration has badly miscalculated that its campaign of terror would cow people in into submission. Instead, it seems to be producing radical civic mindedness, including a willingness to sacrifice on a truly heroic scale, among millions of Americans. This is only going to grow.
“If I am killed doing this, throw my body at the White House, martyr the shit out of me & raise hell. Do not be sad. Do not think I would do anything differently. I would do it over & over again — this is too important to sit down & shut up and not do anything.” www.mprnews.org/story/2026/0...
Pursued by federal agents, suburban ICE observers remain resolved
After a frightening pursuit by federal agents, suburban ICE observers say fear hasn’t stopped them from protecting their communities.
www.mprnews.org
February 4, 2026 at 4:47 PM
The Trump administration has badly miscalculated that its campaign of terror would cow people in into submission. Instead, it seems to be producing radical civic mindedness, including a willingness to sacrifice on a truly heroic scale, among millions of Americans. This is only going to grow.
The sex trafficking, abuse, and denial of the basic humanity of girls is so horrific but we can’t let it keep us from also seeing the very serious political and economic implications of these documents (in multiple countries including the US but also UK, France, and especially Russia).
"It is difficult to think of a precedent for this kind of stunning, some would say ‘treacherous,’ behavior."
Journalist @james-macintyre.bsky.social explains how British politician Peter Mandelson leaked confidential government information to Jeffrey Epstein.
Read now: zeteo.com/p/peter-mand...
Journalist @james-macintyre.bsky.social explains how British politician Peter Mandelson leaked confidential government information to Jeffrey Epstein.
Read now: zeteo.com/p/peter-mand...
February 4, 2026 at 4:36 PM
The sex trafficking, abuse, and denial of the basic humanity of girls is so horrific but we can’t let it keep us from also seeing the very serious political and economic implications of these documents (in multiple countries including the US but also UK, France, and especially Russia).
Reposted by Janet Watson
If you ever want to feel like you live in “the ruins of a once great civilization,” then read a local daily paper from the middle of last century — our predecessors had more and better knowledge of their neighbors, their societies, and their local democracies than we do about our own.
February 4, 2026 at 3:26 PM
If you ever want to feel like you live in “the ruins of a once great civilization,” then read a local daily paper from the middle of last century — our predecessors had more and better knowledge of their neighbors, their societies, and their local democracies than we do about our own.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Please don't report this as a straightforward business story; it's a story about coercive social transformation being imposed by people so rich they've ceased to see the rest of us as legitimate stakeholders in our own lives
February 4, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Please don't report this as a straightforward business story; it's a story about coercive social transformation being imposed by people so rich they've ceased to see the rest of us as legitimate stakeholders in our own lives
Reposted by Janet Watson
under different circumstances this is congressional-inquiry level scandal
I talked to a woman who quit an AUSA job recently. She was asked by main DOJ to dismiss a Medicare fraud prosecution because the defendant was the daughter of a girlfriend of a MAGA figure.
February 4, 2026 at 12:42 PM
under different circumstances this is congressional-inquiry level scandal
Reposted by Janet Watson
Almost as if the Times is owned by a man at the very centre of global networks of abuse & corruption, and the FT isn't.
[The FT is, in fact, owned by Nikkei, which is owned by its employees. Practically communism!]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei,....
[The FT is, in fact, owned by Nikkei, which is owned by its employees. Practically communism!]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei,....
Huge plaudits to @financialtimes.com which has led the way on exposing Mandelson and has also done great reporting on the corruption of Trump. What a contrast to @thetimes.com which did a soft interview with Mandy and has been hopeless on Trump
February 4, 2026 at 1:21 PM
Almost as if the Times is owned by a man at the very centre of global networks of abuse & corruption, and the FT isn't.
[The FT is, in fact, owned by Nikkei, which is owned by its employees. Practically communism!]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei,....
[The FT is, in fact, owned by Nikkei, which is owned by its employees. Practically communism!]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikkei,....
Reposted by Janet Watson
It really is insane how interwoven all our horrors are
Epstein emails - Russia mostly funded Marie Le Pen’s far right party.
February 4, 2026 at 11:15 AM
It really is insane how interwoven all our horrors are
Reposted by Janet Watson
We’re literally killing ourselves. They’ve been working on cutting edge cancer vaccines
Moderna announced that they’re cutting back late-stage vaccine trials due to the uncertainty in the US market www.cidrap.umn.edu/misc-emergin...
Moderna chief: Company won’t invest in new late-stage vaccine trials
Moderna has already been facing declines in sales after a boom during the COVID-19 pandemic.
www.cidrap.umn.edu
February 4, 2026 at 7:03 AM
We’re literally killing ourselves. They’ve been working on cutting edge cancer vaccines
Reposted by Janet Watson
Garcia: I want to remind the American public of Stephen Miller. There's probably no single person in this government that has done more damage and more harm to people across this country than this man right here. It's our job to hold him responsible
February 3, 2026 at 11:04 PM
Garcia: I want to remind the American public of Stephen Miller. There's probably no single person in this government that has done more damage and more harm to people across this country than this man right here. It's our job to hold him responsible
Reposted by Janet Watson
One by one, Europeans mentioned in the Epstein files who still hold political office are beginning to resign or are being forced out of office.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
February 3, 2026 at 2:39 PM
One by one, Europeans mentioned in the Epstein files who still hold political office are beginning to resign or are being forced out of office.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
Meanwhile, ruled by an administration almost entirely made up of Epstein associates, the US carries on as if nothing really happened.
Reposted by Janet Watson
Definitely seems like they destroyed the country on purpose.
February 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Definitely seems like they destroyed the country on purpose.
Reposted by Janet Watson
The post-Me Too era has really taught me that the underlying issue with the persistence of sexual violence isn’t exactly women’s credibility, as the “believe women” slogan suggested, but rather with rape’s moral status. It’s not that people think it doesn’t happen. They think it doesn’t matter.
It's disturbing to see many of the the major figures in moral cognition all over the Epstein files
He was friendly with a huge number of the leading figures in the field, including giving millions to their labs, long after he pled guilty to sexually abusing young girls
www.justice.gov/epstein
He was friendly with a huge number of the leading figures in the field, including giving millions to their labs, long after he pled guilty to sexually abusing young girls
www.justice.gov/epstein
www.justice.gov
January 31, 2026 at 10:48 PM
The post-Me Too era has really taught me that the underlying issue with the persistence of sexual violence isn’t exactly women’s credibility, as the “believe women” slogan suggested, but rather with rape’s moral status. It’s not that people think it doesn’t happen. They think it doesn’t matter.
Reposted by Janet Watson
NEW: Following multiple SpaceX Starship explosions that caused commercial jets to scramble for safety, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a broad warning that rocket launches could “significantly reduce safety” for airplanes.
FAA Warns Airlines About Safety Risks From Rocket Launches, Urges “Extreme Caution”
The agency’s official safety alert comes as SpaceX looks to ramp up Starship tests. A recent ProPublica investigation found that explosions during previous Starship launches disrupted air traffic and forced pilots to scramble for safety.
www.propublica.org
February 2, 2026 at 1:00 PM
NEW: Following multiple SpaceX Starship explosions that caused commercial jets to scramble for safety, the Federal Aviation Administration has issued a broad warning that rocket launches could “significantly reduce safety” for airplanes.
My kids called them land beavers. Lots of them around campus!
Marmota monax, the GROUNDHOG or WOODCHUCK, is native to North America.
Two Algonquin words for this creature:
- Móonack, hence the species epithet.
- Wuchak, which gave us 'woodchuck' (no link to wood or chucking) but young groundhogs are chucklings.
Both words mean, roughly, mean "the digger".
Two Algonquin words for this creature:
- Móonack, hence the species epithet.
- Wuchak, which gave us 'woodchuck' (no link to wood or chucking) but young groundhogs are chucklings.
Both words mean, roughly, mean "the digger".
February 2, 2026 at 1:21 PM
My kids called them land beavers. Lots of them around campus!
Reposted by Janet Watson
I think the Epstein affair is turning into the defining political scandal of our time. It is bringing into plain sight how informal networks of powerful, entitled, abusive and often sexually violent men operate outside any form of institutional scrutiny or restraint.
I really can’t keep up with this. It’s like every vague suspicion of oligarch, finance and tech power come together - with Russian influence.
Yes, you’re not imagining. Only Mandelson, Lebedev, Milner and Epstein and L’Affaire Russe
Yes, you’re not imagining. Only Mandelson, Lebedev, Milner and Epstein and L’Affaire Russe
February 2, 2026 at 12:53 PM
I think the Epstein affair is turning into the defining political scandal of our time. It is bringing into plain sight how informal networks of powerful, entitled, abusive and often sexually violent men operate outside any form of institutional scrutiny or restraint.
Reposted by Janet Watson
ok, so that's fascinating:
"hysterical" came into the english language in the 17th century, but wasn't commonly used until the 19th, peaking at the end of the century, then falling back
until then 21st, when it picks up again, culminating in 2016
"hysterical" came into the english language in the 17th century, but wasn't commonly used until the 19th, peaking at the end of the century, then falling back
until then 21st, when it picks up again, culminating in 2016
February 1, 2026 at 7:53 PM
ok, so that's fascinating:
"hysterical" came into the english language in the 17th century, but wasn't commonly used until the 19th, peaking at the end of the century, then falling back
until then 21st, when it picks up again, culminating in 2016
"hysterical" came into the english language in the 17th century, but wasn't commonly used until the 19th, peaking at the end of the century, then falling back
until then 21st, when it picks up again, culminating in 2016
Reposted by Janet Watson
“This isn’t just a policy change. It’s a betrayal of more than a century of hard-won victories by public health heroes who fought, often at great personal and professional sacrifice, to establish a principle that should be beyond debate: American lives have value.”
The EPA just erased a century of public health progress
Former Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Dean Michelle A. Williams on the EPA’s incorrect and morally wrong decision.
www.statnews.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:14 PM
“This isn’t just a policy change. It’s a betrayal of more than a century of hard-won victories by public health heroes who fought, often at great personal and professional sacrifice, to establish a principle that should be beyond debate: American lives have value.”
Reposted by Janet Watson
"Senior councillors at Kent county council have admitted their Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive has not found any significant waste to cut, despite bombastic claims made by senior figures in Reform UK."
as.ft.com/r/462e90dd-3...
as.ft.com/r/462e90dd-3...
Reform UK admits Kent council’s Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive found little waste
[FREE TO READ] Southern county’s councillors say former Conservative administration ‘weren’t crazy, they were business people’
as.ft.com
February 2, 2026 at 12:22 PM
"Senior councillors at Kent county council have admitted their Elon Musk-inspired cost-cutting drive has not found any significant waste to cut, despite bombastic claims made by senior figures in Reform UK."
as.ft.com/r/462e90dd-3...
as.ft.com/r/462e90dd-3...
Reposted by Janet Watson
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.