Dr Maha
@maharafiatal.bsky.social
New Yorker abroad. Adam Smith Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Political Economy at University of Glasgow studying governance by/of corporations. Sometimes journalist. Always feminist.
Pinned
Dr Maha
@maharafiatal.bsky.social
· Aug 1
Afrofuturist ambiguities: Inclusion and consolidation in South African digital finance - Maha Rafi Atal, Pamela Mondliwa, 2025
In recent years, two changes have begun to transform the South African banking sector. First, financial technology startups have emerged, offering payments and ...
doi.org
New from Pamela Mondliwa and me in @bigdatasoc.bsky.social: the wild story of how South African banks launched mobile apps and chat-bots that compromised their customer data while patting themselves on the back for promoting "financial inclusion." doi.org/10.1177/2053...
In all the justified "screw those guys" obits for Cheney (and before him Rumsfeld) it has not featured heavily enough that in addition to the harm the WoT caused to the Middle East, Africa and domestic US politics, it also led the US and allies to fumble the actual strategic imperative of the time.
As I like to point out, it would be interesting to see how things would have turned out if the US focus in the early 2000s had been pressing China on issues such as market-orientation, human rights, and democracy, instead of, say, all the War on Terror stuff.
November 10, 2025 at 10:30 PM
In all the justified "screw those guys" obits for Cheney (and before him Rumsfeld) it has not featured heavily enough that in addition to the harm the WoT caused to the Middle East, Africa and domestic US politics, it also led the US and allies to fumble the actual strategic imperative of the time.
COP30 is now underway, and I have more to say on the shadow Trump is casting over it here: theconversation.com/how-trumps-t...
November 10, 2025 at 6:31 PM
COP30 is now underway, and I have more to say on the shadow Trump is casting over it here: theconversation.com/how-trumps-t...
Sunday night villain origin story: journals that use none of the common citation formats (Harvard, Chicago, MLA, APA etc.) but have some bespoke format of their own.
a close up of a cartoon character covering his eyes with his hands
ALT: a close up of a cartoon character covering his eyes with his hands
media.tenor.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Sunday night villain origin story: journals that use none of the common citation formats (Harvard, Chicago, MLA, APA etc.) but have some bespoke format of their own.
Reposted by Dr Maha
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Reposted by Dr Maha
Reposted by Dr Maha
You know that Trump doesn't care about climate change. But did you know that his tariffs may also prevent *other* countries from taking climate action?
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
November 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
You know that Trump doesn't care about climate change. But did you know that his tariffs may also prevent *other* countries from taking climate action?
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
The definitive moment of loss is the window after the Snowden revelations when people were up in arms about state surveillance but not the least bit interested in corporate surveillance even though the revelations were about the link between them.
I mean so long as you're carrying a mobile phone around with you, that data is basically already there right? It feels like we're spending the 2020s litigating privacy fights that were lost in the 1990s.
November 6, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The definitive moment of loss is the window after the Snowden revelations when people were up in arms about state surveillance but not the least bit interested in corporate surveillance even though the revelations were about the link between them.
Reposted by Dr Maha
Today's crazy world, data point #473: My mom helps out in a food pantry in rural Germany. And they now got contacted by American soldiers and civil servants from a nearby US-army base, because people have not received salaries for months because of the government shutdown...
November 6, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Today's crazy world, data point #473: My mom helps out in a food pantry in rural Germany. And they now got contacted by American soldiers and civil servants from a nearby US-army base, because people have not received salaries for months because of the government shutdown...
You know that Trump doesn't care about climate change. But did you know that his tariffs may also prevent *other* countries from taking climate action?
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
November 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
You know that Trump doesn't care about climate change. But did you know that his tariffs may also prevent *other* countries from taking climate action?
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
New by me for @uofgpolicy.bsky.social on the Trumpian shadow over COP30: tinyurl.com/mpf7thee
Reposted by Dr Maha
Came here to say this, but Jamelle Bouie has this covered. 👇
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.
i want to repeat this: mamdani and spanberger have run similar campaigns tailored to their respective electorates and it is maddening to watch political journalists attempt to create some broad contrast where none exist
the other thing about this is that there is no reason to pit these candidates against each other? each are good fits for their respective electorates and each shows the value of vigorous campaigns focused on the stated material problems of voters.
November 5, 2025 at 2:12 AM
Came here to say this, but Jamelle Bouie has this covered. 👇
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.
When the Democratic tent includes candidates like Spanberger and Mamdani, there is no crisis, or fight, for the party. IT’S A COALITION, NOT A POINT ESTIMATE.
Reposted by Dr Maha
Terrible scenes just minutes into the new socialist regime in New York as literally hundreds of billionaires discover mamdani already living rent free in their heads
November 5, 2025 at 3:18 AM
Terrible scenes just minutes into the new socialist regime in New York as literally hundreds of billionaires discover mamdani already living rent free in their heads
I will just hand the mic to @rtraister.bsky.social rebeccatraister.substack.com/p/this-fucki...
Good work New York!
Good work New York!
This Fucking Guy
I lived in New York City for twenty-five years and I don’t live there anymore.
rebeccatraister.substack.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:32 AM
I will just hand the mic to @rtraister.bsky.social rebeccatraister.substack.com/p/this-fucki...
Good work New York!
Good work New York!
Reposted by Dr Maha
computer show me bill ackman. enhance. ENHANCE
November 5, 2025 at 2:24 AM
computer show me bill ackman. enhance. ENHANCE
I would actually very much like to know where she got this shirt, because I would like one, and also she looks much more comfortably dressed to be up late at night than @chrislhayes.bsky.social. 🤷♀️
Nicole Wallace on air doing election night coverage wearing a long-sleeved (t-?)shirt ghat says in script font: Democracy isn't a spectator sport
November 5, 2025 at 1:38 AM
I would actually very much like to know where she got this shirt, because I would like one, and also she looks much more comfortably dressed to be up late at night than @chrislhayes.bsky.social. 🤷♀️
Reposted by Dr Maha
This is worse than the worst thing ever attributed to any “Bernie Bro”. The Democratic leader literally refusing to say WHETHER HE VOTED FOR THE DEMOCRAT.
this shit right here is wrecker shit, as much as wrecker shit as any online leftist has done, if not more so. no wonder so many people are repulsed by anyone (rightly) saying 'vote blue no matter who', the most powerful elected Dem in the nation won't do it! it undermines the whole coalition! jfc
November 4, 2025 at 9:08 PM
This is worse than the worst thing ever attributed to any “Bernie Bro”. The Democratic leader literally refusing to say WHETHER HE VOTED FOR THE DEMOCRAT.
The song they wrote about it is still my favorite song about female anger: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIw0...
November 4, 2025 at 4:15 PM
The song they wrote about it is still my favorite song about female anger: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIw0...
Young people "do not want to wear a corporate tag on their politics and that is the one ray of hope."
- @shaziazrafi.bsky.social, who has been a ray of hope all my life, on the state of progressive fightback against the global far-right womensmediacenter.com/wmclive/wmc-...
- @shaziazrafi.bsky.social, who has been a ray of hope all my life, on the state of progressive fightback against the global far-right womensmediacenter.com/wmclive/wmc-...
WMC Live #485: Elegy for The White House. (Original Airdate 11/2/2025) - Women’s Media Center
womensmediacenter.com
November 3, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Young people "do not want to wear a corporate tag on their politics and that is the one ray of hope."
- @shaziazrafi.bsky.social, who has been a ray of hope all my life, on the state of progressive fightback against the global far-right womensmediacenter.com/wmclive/wmc-...
- @shaziazrafi.bsky.social, who has been a ray of hope all my life, on the state of progressive fightback against the global far-right womensmediacenter.com/wmclive/wmc-...
Reposted by Dr Maha
Sheffield Hallam University complied with Beijing demand to halt research about human rights abuses in China, leading to a major project on supply chains and forced labour being dropped. It was reinstated after threat of legal action but chilling effect remains www.theguardian.com/education/20...
UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China
Exclusive: Leading professor at Sheffield Hallam was told to cease research on supply chains and forced labour in China after demands from authorities
www.theguardian.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Sheffield Hallam University complied with Beijing demand to halt research about human rights abuses in China, leading to a major project on supply chains and forced labour being dropped. It was reinstated after threat of legal action but chilling effect remains www.theguardian.com/education/20...
Reposted by Dr Maha
Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
November 2, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Did not expect one of the best paragraphs I’d read about baseball would come from an Irish newspaper
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
www.irishexaminer.com/sport-column...
Reposted by Dr Maha
Great stuff, as always, from @joeposnanski.com
IKF's baserunning is the tragic what-if we'll discuss forever. Miguel Rojas twice found lightning in a bottle.
Baseball, man. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's dying, or boring, or whatever. They have no idea what they're talking about.
IKF's baserunning is the tragic what-if we'll discuss forever. Miguel Rojas twice found lightning in a bottle.
Baseball, man. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's dying, or boring, or whatever. They have no idea what they're talking about.
The Greatest Game I've Ever Seen?
Trying to make sense of Game Seven as I sit among the fog and ghosts in Cooperstown.
www.joeposnanski.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Great stuff, as always, from @joeposnanski.com
IKF's baserunning is the tragic what-if we'll discuss forever. Miguel Rojas twice found lightning in a bottle.
Baseball, man. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's dying, or boring, or whatever. They have no idea what they're talking about.
IKF's baserunning is the tragic what-if we'll discuss forever. Miguel Rojas twice found lightning in a bottle.
Baseball, man. Don't ever let anyone tell you it's dying, or boring, or whatever. They have no idea what they're talking about.
Losing the World Series to the Dodgers with poor baserunning, you say?
November 2, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Losing the World Series to the Dodgers with poor baserunning, you say?
The difference between the Bsky experience during the 2024 and 2025 postseasons was noticeable. This place has the juice now.
The wonderful old-Twitter experience of a global group chat during a live event or breaking news is a thing you can't do on Threads bc of its trash algorithms and you can't do on X bc it's a Nazi propaganda weapon, but it's really happening on Bsky now and I hope more holdouts start to discover that
Fwiw, it’s nice to have a place to chat during a live event. That was one of the things that Twitter was great for. Before the dark times. Before the empire.
November 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
The difference between the Bsky experience during the 2024 and 2025 postseasons was noticeable. This place has the juice now.
Brutal for Toronto, who have been huge fun to watch all postseason. (Yes, even against us.)
If any team deserved to win back-to-back, it is these Dodgers. Ohtani is the GOAT; Yamamoto is a beast.
What a blessing to have had this series. What a blessing to now get to sleep.
See you in the spring!
If any team deserved to win back-to-back, it is these Dodgers. Ohtani is the GOAT; Yamamoto is a beast.
What a blessing to have had this series. What a blessing to now get to sleep.
See you in the spring!
November 2, 2025 at 4:26 AM
Brutal for Toronto, who have been huge fun to watch all postseason. (Yes, even against us.)
If any team deserved to win back-to-back, it is these Dodgers. Ohtani is the GOAT; Yamamoto is a beast.
What a blessing to have had this series. What a blessing to now get to sleep.
See you in the spring!
If any team deserved to win back-to-back, it is these Dodgers. Ohtani is the GOAT; Yamamoto is a beast.
What a blessing to have had this series. What a blessing to now get to sleep.
See you in the spring!
18
How many innings are these things supposed to be, again?
November 2, 2025 at 4:03 AM
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