Taylor Koles
@kaylortoles.bsky.social
philosophy, law, and such
Reposted by Taylor Koles
In my view, the window to *forestall* autocratization of the US political system is basically closed. We're now in the consolidation phase of a new authoritarian constitutional settlement. The question is how far it'll get (will it achieve its apparent goal of fascism?) & at what pace.
Here's why:
Here's why:
July 18, 2025 at 6:26 PM
In my view, the window to *forestall* autocratization of the US political system is basically closed. We're now in the consolidation phase of a new authoritarian constitutional settlement. The question is how far it'll get (will it achieve its apparent goal of fascism?) & at what pace.
Here's why:
Here's why:
Reposted by Taylor Koles
I think it's now possible to make a poli-sci course that equips one for modern political analysis better than most classic theory and has a syllabus sourced entirely from random internet posts.
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
July 13, 2025 at 1:07 AM
I think it's now possible to make a poli-sci course that equips one for modern political analysis better than most classic theory and has a syllabus sourced entirely from random internet posts.
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Text 1. Wilhoit's Law, born as part of a 2018 blog comment
crookedtimber.org/2018/03/21/l...
Reposted by Taylor Koles
Reposted by Taylor Koles
Reposted by Taylor Koles
i'm reading this charles sumner speech from february 1866 and my dude is cooking
July 2, 2025 at 1:31 AM
i'm reading this charles sumner speech from february 1866 and my dude is cooking
Reposted by Taylor Koles
crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their consultants
June 25, 2025 at 2:20 AM
crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of their consultants
Reposted by Taylor Koles
Reposted by Taylor Koles
this is as good as turning the Constitution off. If this is what congressional leaders are going to do when an executive just seizes power from the legislative branch, we do not have one.
Trump’s military attack on Iran gets quick support from the Speaker of the House and Senate majority leader 👇
June 22, 2025 at 12:52 AM
this is as good as turning the Constitution off. If this is what congressional leaders are going to do when an executive just seizes power from the legislative branch, we do not have one.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
I’ll say it again: It was a huge mistake for Congress to abolish itself.
June 22, 2025 at 12:26 AM
I’ll say it again: It was a huge mistake for Congress to abolish itself.
Maybe one day we'll get together and and amend the Constitution so that it contains Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution. But until then, our hands are tied.
June 22, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Maybe one day we'll get together and and amend the Constitution so that it contains Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution. But until then, our hands are tied.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
A few words about “peaceful protests.”
1. At least 5% of people are uncontrollable assholes and will behave badly in any situation, let alone a high-tension one. So a large protest without ANYONE throwing shit, yelling slurs or for violence, etc. is likely not achievable.
/1
1. At least 5% of people are uncontrollable assholes and will behave badly in any situation, let alone a high-tension one. So a large protest without ANYONE throwing shit, yelling slurs or for violence, etc. is likely not achievable.
/1
June 9, 2025 at 9:05 PM
A few words about “peaceful protests.”
1. At least 5% of people are uncontrollable assholes and will behave badly in any situation, let alone a high-tension one. So a large protest without ANYONE throwing shit, yelling slurs or for violence, etc. is likely not achievable.
/1
1. At least 5% of people are uncontrollable assholes and will behave badly in any situation, let alone a high-tension one. So a large protest without ANYONE throwing shit, yelling slurs or for violence, etc. is likely not achievable.
/1
Reposted by Taylor Koles
I've been thinking about this C.S. Lewis quote for the last few days as we head into some dark times.
November 10, 2024 at 10:25 PM
I've been thinking about this C.S. Lewis quote for the last few days as we head into some dark times.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
generally speaking, the median voter has the memory and political knowledge of an amoeba. if you think that the coverup of Biden’s cognitive decline is going to resonate in 4 years, fine, but your explanation should be good enough to overcome basically everything we know about voters
May 19, 2025 at 12:30 AM
generally speaking, the median voter has the memory and political knowledge of an amoeba. if you think that the coverup of Biden’s cognitive decline is going to resonate in 4 years, fine, but your explanation should be good enough to overcome basically everything we know about voters
Reposted by Taylor Koles
more and more people are recognizing: our system has degenerated into an overweening court pitted against an overweening presidency, with congress nowhere to be found.
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-present-...
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-present-...
April 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM
more and more people are recognizing: our system has degenerated into an overweening court pitted against an overweening presidency, with congress nowhere to be found.
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-present-...
www.liberalcurrents.com/the-present-...
Reposted by Taylor Koles
This is gonna be four years of the dumbest motherfuckers alive painfully discovering why things worked the way they did before they broke them, then reinventing a shittier version with more nazis.
April 25, 2025 at 11:28 PM
This is gonna be four years of the dumbest motherfuckers alive painfully discovering why things worked the way they did before they broke them, then reinventing a shittier version with more nazis.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
fuck these fucking guys who did this slate.com/news-and-pol...
The Courage to Be Decent
The goal isn’t to police all behavior at all times. It’s to make us fearful to the point that we police our own behavior.
slate.com
April 24, 2025 at 6:04 PM
fuck these fucking guys who did this slate.com/news-and-pol...
Reposted by Taylor Koles
[FDR, December 7th, 1941, off-mic]
Yamamoto’s command is so good tonight. That sinker just now was filthy.
April 19, 2025 at 1:25 AM
[FDR, December 7th, 1941, off-mic]
Reposted by Taylor Koles
I don't really care what the "political consequences" are of fighting for the proposition that *everyone* is entitled to due process before they are removed from the United States and sent to a Salvadoran prison.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
April 18, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I don't really care what the "political consequences" are of fighting for the proposition that *everyone* is entitled to due process before they are removed from the United States and sent to a Salvadoran prison.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
It's not really a principle if you only adhere to it when it's politically expedient.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
I had been doubtful that we were going to have a "this is the crisis moment" with Trump, as opposed to "everything about this is a destructive catastrophe."
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
1/
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
1/
April 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
I had been doubtful that we were going to have a "this is the crisis moment" with Trump, as opposed to "everything about this is a destructive catastrophe."
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
1/
But the Abrego Garcia case is the crisis moment.
1/
Optimus Prime explaining to me that Trump take toy is bleak
I'm laughing so hard at this email from the place I ordered transformers for my kid last year
April 9, 2025 at 2:50 PM
Optimus Prime explaining to me that Trump take toy is bleak
Reposted by Taylor Koles
What it feels like reading the Econ nerds’ posts now:
April 9, 2025 at 12:31 AM
What it feels like reading the Econ nerds’ posts now:
Reposted by Taylor Koles
So the Supreme Court’s strategy seems pretty clearly to be forestall admitting we have a constitutional crisis by giving Trump huge victories on narrow procedural grounds. This is akin to having engineers move the Rubicon River closer and closer to Rome to avoid Caesar crossing it.
April 8, 2025 at 7:07 PM
So the Supreme Court’s strategy seems pretty clearly to be forestall admitting we have a constitutional crisis by giving Trump huge victories on narrow procedural grounds. This is akin to having engineers move the Rubicon River closer and closer to Rome to avoid Caesar crossing it.
Reposted by Taylor Koles
for those without petitions already on file, I think a next friend petition in the last district in the U.S. where the petitioner was present arguing that he is constructively in U.S. custody would be the next step
April 8, 2025 at 12:05 AM
for those without petitions already on file, I think a next friend petition in the last district in the U.S. where the petitioner was present arguing that he is constructively in U.S. custody would be the next step