Digressionsimpressions
@nescio13.bsky.social
Philosopher who got a gig as political theorist at University of Amsterdam; also known as Ghent Zeppelin. I have a daily substack:
https://digressionsimpressions.substack.com/publish
https://digressionsimpressions.substack.com/publish
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
The indictment against Maduro is about cocaine. If we had an honest White House Press Corps, every press interview Trump did would start with why he pardoned a narco terrorist president who imported 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.
January 3, 2026 at 7:41 PM
The indictment against Maduro is about cocaine. If we had an honest White House Press Corps, every press interview Trump did would start with why he pardoned a narco terrorist president who imported 400 tons of cocaine into the United States.
One of the more depressing features of democracy and imperialism is that inside the imperial homeland imperialism is defeated politically, only temporarily, it seems, by the right sort of military defeats.
January 3, 2026 at 9:30 PM
One of the more depressing features of democracy and imperialism is that inside the imperial homeland imperialism is defeated politically, only temporarily, it seems, by the right sort of military defeats.
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
As someone put it perfectly, 'international law must be followed' is European for 'thoughts and prayers.'
January 3, 2026 at 7:46 PM
As someone put it perfectly, 'international law must be followed' is European for 'thoughts and prayers.'
My course on imperialism seems well-timed
January 3, 2026 at 7:27 PM
My course on imperialism seems well-timed
It's better to keep quiet than to utter hollowness
Following very closely the situation in Venezuela.
We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition.
Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition.
Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
January 3, 2026 at 2:46 PM
It's better to keep quiet than to utter hollowness
I really hoped the rise of cheap solar power would make wars centred on oil obsolete.
January 3, 2026 at 1:56 PM
I really hoped the rise of cheap solar power would make wars centred on oil obsolete.
This post aged rather well, alas:
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
On Trump Tariffs, McKinley, and Closing Society
With collapsing stock markets, retirement portfolios, and consumer confidence, there is an all-too-human tendency to focus on the economic effects of tariffs by their critics: they are a tax on consum...
open.substack.com
January 3, 2026 at 12:33 PM
This post aged rather well, alas:
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
open.substack.com/pub/digressi...
It was a nerdy holiday
January 2, 2026 at 7:49 PM
It was a nerdy holiday
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
Big things are afoot at Liberal Currents. Kick in for their fundraiser if you haven't already.
www.liberalcurrents.com/liberal-curr...
www.liberalcurrents.com/liberal-curr...
Liberal Currents in 2026
A brief outline of our plan, and an update on the rate we pay to authors.
www.liberalcurrents.com
January 2, 2026 at 6:01 PM
Big things are afoot at Liberal Currents. Kick in for their fundraiser if you haven't already.
www.liberalcurrents.com/liberal-curr...
www.liberalcurrents.com/liberal-curr...
Maybe I should start a podcast in 2026
January 2, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Maybe I should start a podcast in 2026
In order to advance Adam Smith scholarship, I posit a divide between Western and Eastern Smith. All work published in Paris trumps the Pisa and Osaka traditions. In section 1, I focus on...
January 2, 2026 at 3:48 PM
In order to advance Adam Smith scholarship, I posit a divide between Western and Eastern Smith. All work published in Paris trumps the Pisa and Osaka traditions. In section 1, I focus on...
Is intro to set theory sufficient to opt out of the cognitive examination?
What does it mean when your doctors keep insisting you redo the cognitive exam
January 2, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Is intro to set theory sufficient to opt out of the cognitive examination?
@helendecruz.net made this point a decade ago
This report in Nature on the costs of competing for & administering scientific grants is shocking: "In other words, European taxpayers will have spent more on the funding process than on the funding itself, and the scientific ecosystem has been drained." www.nature.com/articles/d41... 🧪
Point of no returns: researchers are crossing a threshold in the fight for funding
With so little money to go round, the costs of competing for grants can exceed what the grants are worth. When that happens, nobody wins.
www.nature.com
January 2, 2026 at 2:08 PM
@helendecruz.net made this point a decade ago
The Economist has lost the plot. Support @liberalcurrents.com!
January 2, 2026 at 2:01 PM
The Economist has lost the plot. Support @liberalcurrents.com!
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
The meme answer re what philosophy book I'd get sworn into office on for me is Logical Syntax of Language. Maybe also the actual answer? Other contenders are the Zhuangzi but that feels too ironic, also Leviathan but that might send the wrong message, or Winstanley's New Law of Righteousness.
Okay which philosophy book would you use?
I might opt for Leviathan
I might opt for Leviathan
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
January 2, 2026 at 12:33 AM
The meme answer re what philosophy book I'd get sworn into office on for me is Logical Syntax of Language. Maybe also the actual answer? Other contenders are the Zhuangzi but that feels too ironic, also Leviathan but that might send the wrong message, or Winstanley's New Law of Righteousness.
Okay which philosophy book would you use?
I might opt for Leviathan
I might opt for Leviathan
Strange takes on Mayor Zamdani swearing his oath on the Qu’ran. It has nothing to do with church & state. The point of the oath is for the person swearing in to do so upon some text that is sacred TO THEM. Some Presidents swore in w/o any book. John Quincy Adams was sworn on a law book. His choice.
January 2, 2026 at 12:28 AM
Okay which philosophy book would you use?
I might opt for Leviathan
I might opt for Leviathan
2025 was the year I switched to mechanical pencils.
#Nomoreinkblotsonmypants
#Nomoreinkblotsonmypants
January 2, 2026 at 12:24 AM
2025 was the year I switched to mechanical pencils.
#Nomoreinkblotsonmypants
#Nomoreinkblotsonmypants
It's probably a bad sign that I now think political epistemology does not solve everything in political theory.
January 2, 2026 at 12:05 AM
It's probably a bad sign that I now think political epistemology does not solve everything in political theory.
Facebook is showing me glimpses of a polemic on western Marxism and I am genuinely baffled
January 1, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Facebook is showing me glimpses of a polemic on western Marxism and I am genuinely baffled
I love the annotated best read books lists of the year; so keep em coming!
December 31, 2025 at 4:22 PM
I love the annotated best read books lists of the year; so keep em coming!
Reposted by Digressionsimpressions
Yeah this is a good point - it's very small numbers of people as a portion of the country which is great, except for some reason our media and political class have decided that they are objectively the most important segment of the electorate and must be appeased at all costs.
This would be more reassuring if these weren’t also the people whose support all of Labour, the Tories and Reform have been fighting for years to secure
![Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social • 2h
"More than a third (37%) of Reform UK voters said they would be prouder of Britain if there were fewer people from minority ethnic backgrounds in a decade's time, and 10% [compared to 3% overall] said it was important to have white skin to be a good British citizen."
The Guardian
Number of people who say Britons must be born in UK is rising, study shows
Exclusive: Research finds 'worrying' surge in support for hard-right narrativ...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:5hyjbx4hnlxe5il24ydnn4sr/bafkreic24bwteqpfoxnyujwwogyk2joyf4gek5meameticnz2hu2bf7aq4@jpeg)
December 30, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Yeah this is a good point - it's very small numbers of people as a portion of the country which is great, except for some reason our media and political class have decided that they are objectively the most important segment of the electorate and must be appeased at all costs.
I suspect this will take me through rest of the holiday.
December 31, 2025 at 1:14 AM
I suspect this will take me through rest of the holiday.
Join the fun with @serenekhader.bsky.social
December 30, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Join the fun with @serenekhader.bsky.social