Nate Ledbetter
@nhledbetter.bsky.social
ABD, Princeton, East Asian Studies. Instructor, Asian History, Rider University. Perpetually writing my dissertation (warfare in 16th C. Kyushu, Japan). He/Him/あいつ/"That Nagashino Guy." At some point I'll start posting useful stuff here. Maybe.
Pinned
Since I've got double the followers from a week ago, guess it's time for an intro thread. A post per topic I habitually post about:
I'm a PhD candidate at Princeton, very slowly working on a dissertation on 16th C. warfare in southern Japan (centered around the Shimazu family). 1/
I'm a PhD candidate at Princeton, very slowly working on a dissertation on 16th C. warfare in southern Japan (centered around the Shimazu family). 1/
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
Taxing billionaires out of existence may be the most critical domestic policy fight of our lifetimes.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
Donate to Support for Washington Post international employees, organized by Michelle Lee
Among the hundreds of journalists laid off by The Washington Post on … Michelle Lee needs your support for Support for Washington Post international employees
www.gofundme.com
February 8, 2026 at 4:40 AM
Taxing billionaires out of existence may be the most critical domestic policy fight of our lifetimes.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
I’m Dan Kim & I approve this message.
Taxing billionaires out of existence may be the most critical domestic policy fight of our lifetimes.
Former Washington Post journalists have launched a GoFundMe to help repatriate fired staff members who are effectively stranded in foreign countries.
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
One of the richest men in the world fired them from the paper and didn’t even pay to ensure they got home.
Abolish the billionaire class:
February 8, 2026 at 5:35 AM
I’m Dan Kim & I approve this message.
Viking Berserker costume idea
February 8, 2026 at 4:08 AM
Viking Berserker costume idea
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
"if we abolish ICE how will we handle undocumented immigrants" well I'm ineligible to run for office for so, so many reasons but I've got a step-by-step plan for anyone who needs it:
1. help them get some documents
1. help them get some documents
February 7, 2026 at 10:55 PM
"if we abolish ICE how will we handle undocumented immigrants" well I'm ineligible to run for office for so, so many reasons but I've got a step-by-step plan for anyone who needs it:
1. help them get some documents
1. help them get some documents
This SHOULD be the question every journalist is asking.
Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) reacted to Trump personal attorney-turned Deputy AG Todd Blanche discussing the DOJ's intention to appeal the judges decision releasing Liam Ramos.
"Why is the Trump Administration fighting harder to arrest 5-year-old children than pedophiles in the Epstein files?" he posted
"Why is the Trump Administration fighting harder to arrest 5-year-old children than pedophiles in the Epstein files?" he posted
February 8, 2026 at 3:27 AM
This SHOULD be the question every journalist is asking.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
not to mention that the "greeks winning" depends on your time horizon, and whether you count those barbarian Macedonians as Greek or not.
February 8, 2026 at 3:10 AM
not to mention that the "greeks winning" depends on your time horizon, and whether you count those barbarian Macedonians as Greek or not.
Yeah, uh, that Kalshi commercial.
They...they know the Spartans LOST at Thermopylae, right?
Yes, the Greeks eventually won the war, but the Spartans LOST.
So much wrong in that commercial. And THAT's who you want to give your money?
They...they know the Spartans LOST at Thermopylae, right?
Yes, the Greeks eventually won the war, but the Spartans LOST.
So much wrong in that commercial. And THAT's who you want to give your money?
February 8, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Yeah, uh, that Kalshi commercial.
They...they know the Spartans LOST at Thermopylae, right?
Yes, the Greeks eventually won the war, but the Spartans LOST.
So much wrong in that commercial. And THAT's who you want to give your money?
They...they know the Spartans LOST at Thermopylae, right?
Yes, the Greeks eventually won the war, but the Spartans LOST.
So much wrong in that commercial. And THAT's who you want to give your money?
I know we say this every 4 years, but luge is INSANE.
February 8, 2026 at 2:37 AM
I know we say this every 4 years, but luge is INSANE.
This site is wondrous sometimes.
should be dildoes, it's a much older word than people realise, 16thC.
February 8, 2026 at 1:24 AM
This site is wondrous sometimes.
I low key love imagining that some editor had to stop and thing "~os? ~oes? Which is it? Ugh. I don't think this is in the style guide."
🚨Minneapolis Police gather up DILDOS to throw back at protesters from the street after they were thrown into the street to protest ICE, creating quite the scene.
LIVE NOW ⬇️
LIVE NOW ⬇️
February 8, 2026 at 1:06 AM
I low key love imagining that some editor had to stop and thing "~os? ~oes? Which is it? Ugh. I don't think this is in the style guide."
They finally turned ice skating into gymnastics (in terms of scoring with team events), huh.
February 8, 2026 at 12:09 AM
They finally turned ice skating into gymnastics (in terms of scoring with team events), huh.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
ISU holding up one of those Peter Griffin skin color cards next to pictures of Surya Bonaly and Ilia Malinin doing backflips
USA's Ilia Malinin just did a BACKFLIP in the short program.
If you're thinking - isn't the backflip banned? - didn't I read a whole thing involving French skater Surya Bonaly? - you are correct! But the backflip was UN-banned in 2024. So this is the first legal Olympic backflip since the reversal
If you're thinking - isn't the backflip banned? - didn't I read a whole thing involving French skater Surya Bonaly? - you are correct! But the backflip was UN-banned in 2024. So this is the first legal Olympic backflip since the reversal
February 7, 2026 at 8:21 PM
ISU holding up one of those Peter Griffin skin color cards next to pictures of Surya Bonaly and Ilia Malinin doing backflips
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
Scholars envisioning a radical progressive future enabled by LLMs.
February 7, 2026 at 3:08 PM
Scholars envisioning a radical progressive future enabled by LLMs.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
February 7, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Just go ahead and call it photo of the year, folks.
February 7, 2026 at 7:16 PM
Just go ahead and call it photo of the year, folks.
y'all laughing at this, but this isn't that unusual for a certain subset of Americans who travel. Not sure why you'd bother, eating new things is part of the experience, but they're out there and not uncommon.
Not only did they bring a small private army, but among the waste of taxpayer money was BRINGING A FULL PLANE OF FOOD.
To *Italy*.
To *Italy*.
February 7, 2026 at 6:43 PM
y'all laughing at this, but this isn't that unusual for a certain subset of Americans who travel. Not sure why you'd bother, eating new things is part of the experience, but they're out there and not uncommon.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
JD Vance going to Italy like Francis I in 1525, and with a similar result (humiliated in or around Milan)
Not only did they bring a small private army, but among the waste of taxpayer money was BRINGING A FULL PLANE OF FOOD.
To *Italy*.
To *Italy*.
February 7, 2026 at 5:18 PM
JD Vance going to Italy like Francis I in 1525, and with a similar result (humiliated in or around Milan)
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
"Where are your citations?"
"Where are your citations?"
Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work.
"No, you can't leave that here."
"No, you can't leave that here."
February 7, 2026 at 6:25 PM
"Without naming your job, tell me something you say over and over again at work."
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
"It's due Sunday at 11:59 PM"
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
I just got 2 in the mail all set here in minneapolis
February 7, 2026 at 6:17 PM
I just got 2 in the mail all set here in minneapolis
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
All I can say is that the Department of Defense is an institution that put visiting Turkish and Armenian officers at The Basic School at the same time 20 years ago. You'd think it's because someone never read a book, but sometimes it's done so perfectly you'd swear it was intentional.
February 7, 2026 at 6:13 PM
All I can say is that the Department of Defense is an institution that put visiting Turkish and Armenian officers at The Basic School at the same time 20 years ago. You'd think it's because someone never read a book, but sometimes it's done so perfectly you'd swear it was intentional.
Of course these are all the types who, if they saw the Actual Helen of Troy, would post comments like "meh, 6/10, pointy elbows, would not smash."
The unspoken logic is "the 'most beautiful woman in the world' would have to be white"
That's it. That's the logic.
That's it. That's the logic.
February 7, 2026 at 6:08 PM
Of course these are all the types who, if they saw the Actual Helen of Troy, would post comments like "meh, 6/10, pointy elbows, would not smash."
The US Army recruiting commercial with the 10th Mountain Division during a Winter Olympics is fine.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
February 7, 2026 at 6:04 PM
The US Army recruiting commercial with the 10th Mountain Division during a Winter Olympics is fine.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Highlighting fighting in Italy, against Italians (and Germans), during an Olympics in Italy? I'd say that's A Choice but honestly not sure the Pentagon is smart enough to have connected those dots.
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
We made a clone of Eisenhower but removed the "lavender scare" tumor and he hates the CIA now, who's in?
February 7, 2026 at 5:48 PM
We made a clone of Eisenhower but removed the "lavender scare" tumor and he hates the CIA now, who's in?
Reposted by Nate Ledbetter
Alabama’s past is America’s future. Ever met anyone who brags they voted for George Wallace?
February 7, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Alabama’s past is America’s future. Ever met anyone who brags they voted for George Wallace?