José Marichal
@josemarichal.bsky.social
Pol Sci Prof at CalLutheran. Author of "You Must Become an Algorithmic Problem" (Bristol Univ Press) and "Machine Liberalism" (Forthcoming from Intellect Books/University of Chicago Press)
https://www.callutheran.edu/faculty/profile.html?id=marichal
https://www.callutheran.edu/faculty/profile.html?id=marichal
Bluesky feed looks a lot different when you turn off reposts.... all the "rage-bait" goes away.
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 PM
Bluesky feed looks a lot different when you turn off reposts.... all the "rage-bait" goes away.
Reposted by José Marichal
hey #polisky - with global community building harder than ever & travel $ down, submit to the VRM
@jawspolisci.bsky.social @ppworkshop.bsky.social @gradstudent-ipe.bsky.social @epgonline.bsky.social @jqconworkshop.bsky.social @vipworkshop.bsky.social @pomeps.bsky.social @eepgworkshop.bsky.social
@jawspolisci.bsky.social @ppworkshop.bsky.social @gradstudent-ipe.bsky.social @epgonline.bsky.social @jqconworkshop.bsky.social @vipworkshop.bsky.social @pomeps.bsky.social @eepgworkshop.bsky.social
hey #polisky - besides the annual meeting, APSA has a Virtual Research Meeting in April. connect.apsanet.org/vrm2026/
We're entirely shifting to a format of research groups: eight 90-minute sessions over two days where you curate a research network of 10-30 people to do cool shit. Examples:
We're entirely shifting to a format of research groups: eight 90-minute sessions over two days where you curate a research network of 10-30 people to do cool shit. Examples:
ExpandExpandToggle MenuScroll to topScroll to topExpandExpand
connect.apsanet.org
January 6, 2026 at 5:18 PM
hey #polisky - with global community building harder than ever & travel $ down, submit to the VRM
@jawspolisci.bsky.social @ppworkshop.bsky.social @gradstudent-ipe.bsky.social @epgonline.bsky.social @jqconworkshop.bsky.social @vipworkshop.bsky.social @pomeps.bsky.social @eepgworkshop.bsky.social
@jawspolisci.bsky.social @ppworkshop.bsky.social @gradstudent-ipe.bsky.social @epgonline.bsky.social @jqconworkshop.bsky.social @vipworkshop.bsky.social @pomeps.bsky.social @eepgworkshop.bsky.social
Reposted by José Marichal
Do your New Year’s resolutions include travelling to Boston, hanging out with (mostly) fun people, and/or talking about American political thought? If so, you’re in luck! I’m very happy to be co-chairing the American Political Thought section with
@cbambrick.bsky.social for APSA 2026.
@cbambrick.bsky.social for APSA 2026.
January 6, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Do your New Year’s resolutions include travelling to Boston, hanging out with (mostly) fun people, and/or talking about American political thought? If so, you’re in luck! I’m very happy to be co-chairing the American Political Thought section with
@cbambrick.bsky.social for APSA 2026.
@cbambrick.bsky.social for APSA 2026.
I fear we are about to learn that, for way more people that I'd like, "epistemic truth," is less important than other cognitive and emotional desires.
fuck outta here
January 6, 2026 at 7:14 PM
I fear we are about to learn that, for way more people that I'd like, "epistemic truth," is less important than other cognitive and emotional desires.
Reposted by José Marichal
Amidst all that is destructive and demoralizing, we're meeting to celebrate civic culture + public knowledge and build solidarities. Open to NYC info workers (librarians, archivists), grad students, artists, designers. Apps are due Wednesday, Jan 7, end-of-day!
Confirmed sessions include:...
Confirmed sessions include:...
Apps are open for our spring session of the Cross-Reference Coalition! We're exploring Search & Discovery! "Our journey will encompass the history of exploration + cartography, legacies of inquiry, tools of discovery, theories of curiosity, and counter-algorithmic means of 'finding things out.'"
January 5, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Amidst all that is destructive and demoralizing, we're meeting to celebrate civic culture + public knowledge and build solidarities. Open to NYC info workers (librarians, archivists), grad students, artists, designers. Apps are due Wednesday, Jan 7, end-of-day!
Confirmed sessions include:...
Confirmed sessions include:...
If Bluesky members led a movement towards generosity and grace in public social media conversations as a response to the last few days, I wouldn't be mad.
lot of things i could say here but mostly i guess i would like to implore everyone to find a personality other than "least favorite roommate during a house meeting in portland, oregon"
January 6, 2026 at 4:16 PM
If Bluesky members led a movement towards generosity and grace in public social media conversations as a response to the last few days, I wouldn't be mad.
John Wick is a satire of action movies.
This place needs some Innocuous Discourse pronto. Quote this with a take that’s not political or aggressive
January 6, 2026 at 3:58 PM
John Wick is a satire of action movies.
Reposted by José Marichal
Reposted by José Marichal
I'm thinking of adding a film component for my global politics class... What films should I include?
January 6, 2026 at 2:01 AM
I'm thinking of adding a film component for my global politics class... What films should I include?
I'm thinking of adding a film component for my global politics class... What films should I include?
January 6, 2026 at 2:01 AM
I'm thinking of adding a film component for my global politics class... What films should I include?
Awful of course . But what can be built in it's wake? Or what exists that can be strengthened?
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been dissolved, ending its 58 years as the primary funder for PBS, NPR and local TV and radio stations
Corporation For Public Broadcasting Is Dissolved After 58 Years Of Service
www.huffpost.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:19 AM
Awful of course . But what can be built in it's wake? Or what exists that can be strengthened?
Always bet on wine moms
we've got some ICE shit going down in our little town today and it took like three minutes for a convoy of wine moms to start chasing them around town. normies hate this shit and are putting in the work
January 6, 2026 at 1:15 AM
Always bet on wine moms
💯 community is the antidote to cruelty..
This is a really lovely practice, and if you're looking for an easy New Year's resolution to make these times a little bit brighter, this one is solid.
One of my old friends (absolutely offline) was going through some scary stuff last year -- and I, helpless, live so far away. And so I asked what I could do to support her best.
"When you see something that makes you think of me, text me."
"When you see something that makes you think of me, text me."
January 6, 2026 at 1:13 AM
💯 community is the antidote to cruelty..
Reposted by José Marichal
This is a really lovely practice, and if you're looking for an easy New Year's resolution to make these times a little bit brighter, this one is solid.
One of my old friends (absolutely offline) was going through some scary stuff last year -- and I, helpless, live so far away. And so I asked what I could do to support her best.
"When you see something that makes you think of me, text me."
"When you see something that makes you think of me, text me."
January 6, 2026 at 12:03 AM
This is a really lovely practice, and if you're looking for an easy New Year's resolution to make these times a little bit brighter, this one is solid.
This is a good community-building practice.... I'm planning assigning readings and inviting authors affiliated with @citap.bsky.social to interact with my students in my spring technology and politics class. Trying to lean heavily into community building this year.
A colleague reminded me I needed to do this: if you assign anything I wrote in your classes, I am very happy to zoom in and talk to your students. I consider it the best part of my job.
January 6, 2026 at 1:07 AM
This is a good community-building practice.... I'm planning assigning readings and inviting authors affiliated with @citap.bsky.social to interact with my students in my spring technology and politics class. Trying to lean heavily into community building this year.
Reposted by José Marichal
Aight, so how are we decoupling from the systems that prop up/underlay all the things we hate and are destroying us?
Lookin for genuine and practical answers.
Lookin for genuine and practical answers.
January 5, 2026 at 12:09 PM
Aight, so how are we decoupling from the systems that prop up/underlay all the things we hate and are destroying us?
Lookin for genuine and practical answers.
Lookin for genuine and practical answers.
This is an important point.... conversations about the application of ML/AI tools to research questions are hard to find here....
Lots of people tried to reconstruct the ML/AI/stats community over here. 90% of them left because the random abuse they got for just posting ordinary research results was too much.
bsky.app/profile/jwhe...
bsky.app/profile/jwhe...
Wrote about an obvious and yet profoundly underappreciated aspect of the AI boom: its total narrative capture by Elon Musk's X nymag.com/intelligence...
January 5, 2026 at 7:48 PM
This is an important point.... conversations about the application of ML/AI tools to research questions are hard to find here....
Reposted by José Marichal
IMO what holds BlueSky back is that people mostly want to gripe about politics.
That's fine, I also like to gripe about politics, but most other areas of broad interest just don't get any traction.
Not even talking about "growing followers" or whatever, there's just not much discussion.
That's fine, I also like to gripe about politics, but most other areas of broad interest just don't get any traction.
Not even talking about "growing followers" or whatever, there's just not much discussion.
January 5, 2026 at 7:25 PM
IMO what holds BlueSky back is that people mostly want to gripe about politics.
That's fine, I also like to gripe about politics, but most other areas of broad interest just don't get any traction.
Not even talking about "growing followers" or whatever, there's just not much discussion.
That's fine, I also like to gripe about politics, but most other areas of broad interest just don't get any traction.
Not even talking about "growing followers" or whatever, there's just not much discussion.
Worth reading Jacques Ellul for a reflection on how algorithmic culture shapes us:
“The machine doesn’t just create a new environment for humans; it alters their fundamental nature..They must adjust to a new reality, as if born into a world for which they were not designed” (1964, 325).
“The machine doesn’t just create a new environment for humans; it alters their fundamental nature..They must adjust to a new reality, as if born into a world for which they were not designed” (1964, 325).
January 5, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Worth reading Jacques Ellul for a reflection on how algorithmic culture shapes us:
“The machine doesn’t just create a new environment for humans; it alters their fundamental nature..They must adjust to a new reality, as if born into a world for which they were not designed” (1964, 325).
“The machine doesn’t just create a new environment for humans; it alters their fundamental nature..They must adjust to a new reality, as if born into a world for which they were not designed” (1964, 325).
A million times yes!!!
As tech companies try to sell us on the idea that life itself is an inconvenience, "an orientation toward friction is really the only defense we have against the life-annihilating suction of technologies of escape," @kjezermorton.bsky.social writes. www.thecut.com/article/broo...
In 2026, We Are Friction-Maxxing
In the face of technologies that sell us escapism at every turn, we need to build up tolerance for “inconvenience.”
www.thecut.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:18 PM
A million times yes!!!
Reposted by José Marichal
Yesterday we went up another percentage point towards our goal. Reminder that 40% ($200k) is an important milestone where we'll be able to finally bring on an editor full time. If you're looking for a moment to make an impact, this is that moment! gofund.me/0702ba937
January 5, 2026 at 1:05 PM
Yesterday we went up another percentage point towards our goal. Reminder that 40% ($200k) is an important milestone where we'll be able to finally bring on an editor full time. If you're looking for a moment to make an impact, this is that moment! gofund.me/0702ba937
@tressiemcphd.bsky.social thinks more profound things before breakfast than I do all day, but it's worth reflecting on the value of her framing -- "we made it this" is spot on! Our social media engagement is relational. We make choices to amplify outrage and ignore community building everyday.
I cannot stress this enough but the internet was a mistake. It could have been many things but we made it this. We are not the people for this kind of power.
www.fox9.com/news/minneso...
www.fox9.com/news/minneso...
Minnesota GOP worked with YouTuber on child care fraud viral video
www.fox9.com
January 5, 2026 at 7:10 PM
@tressiemcphd.bsky.social thinks more profound things before breakfast than I do all day, but it's worth reflecting on the value of her framing -- "we made it this" is spot on! Our social media engagement is relational. We make choices to amplify outrage and ignore community building everyday.
Why does this feel like when you like someone and you want to go on a second date, but they don't like you back like that and you can't take the hint, so you ask anyway instead of reading the room?
More astonishing public comments from Danish PM on Greenland: “I believe one should take the American president seriously when he says that he wants Greenland. But I will also make it clear that if the US chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops, including NATO..."
Denmark Says US Attack on Greenland Would Mean End of NATO
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said that if Donald Trump were to attack the Danish island of Greenland that would mean the end of the NATO alliance.
www.bloomberg.com
January 5, 2026 at 5:29 PM
Why does this feel like when you like someone and you want to go on a second date, but they don't like you back like that and you can't take the hint, so you ask anyway instead of reading the room?
Everybody should very quickly become familiar with 19th and early 20th century American history.
In implementation of Trump plans to invade and occupy Greenland, billionaire Trump loyalist Ron Lauder has launched a program of quietly acquiring control of major Greenland corporations.
Stenrig Trump-støtte har købt sig ind i grønlandske virksomheder
Den kendte amerikanske milliardær og Trump-støtte Ronald Lauder har købt sig ind i to grønlandske virksomheder. Eksperter opfordrer til at være på vagt over for skjulte politiske dagsordener.
https://politiken.dk/internationalt/art10619933/Stenrig-Trump-støtte-har-købt-sig-ind-i-grønlandske-virksomheder
January 5, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Everybody should very quickly become familiar with 19th and early 20th century American history.