Rebecca Best
@rebeccabestir.bsky.social
Assoc Prof of Political Science; armed conflict, terrorism, women combatants, women in peace processes, and veteran reintegration. Personal views only.
Reposted by Rebecca Best
/3 Asserting the (legally correct) point that members of the military may refuse illegal orders is not conspiring to overthrow the government or hinder the laws by force.
You can tell because if it were seditious conspiracy Trump would be pardoning it.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
You can tell because if it were seditious conspiracy Trump would be pardoning it.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
Stewart Rhodes, convicted of seditious conspiracy and released by Trump, visits Capitol Hill
Rhodes, the far-right Oath Keepers extremist group founder, was found guilty of orchestrating a weekslong plot that culminated in his followers attacking the U.S. Capitol in a desperate bid to keep Tr...
www.pbs.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:33 PM
/3 Asserting the (legally correct) point that members of the military may refuse illegal orders is not conspiring to overthrow the government or hinder the laws by force.
You can tell because if it were seditious conspiracy Trump would be pardoning it.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
You can tell because if it were seditious conspiracy Trump would be pardoning it.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...
Reposted by Rebecca Best
When Roberts is Chief Justice they just let you do it
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 PM
When Roberts is Chief Justice they just let you do it
@creshman.bsky.social’s presidential address on market power, critical minerals, and today’s conflicts was the perfect end to an excellent Peace Science weekend!
November 16, 2025 at 2:03 AM
@creshman.bsky.social’s presidential address on market power, critical minerals, and today’s conflicts was the perfect end to an excellent Peace Science weekend!
Reposted by Rebecca Best
a new genre of photo in the last year is federal agents working for ICE pointing guns directly at photographers
November 11, 2025 at 12:41 AM
a new genre of photo in the last year is federal agents working for ICE pointing guns directly at photographers
Reposted by Rebecca Best
That a federal judge had to block the Trump administration from pushing millions of Americans into hunger says everything about this President and the party he leads.
Grateful to our Attorney General for being on the frontlines of this fight.
Grateful to our Attorney General for being on the frontlines of this fight.
In a major victory, a court ruled the Trump administration must use emergency funds to provide food stamps to Americans.
No one should choose between paying bills and buying groceries.
We'll continue our lawsuit to fight for our families and the services they deserve.
No one should choose between paying bills and buying groceries.
We'll continue our lawsuit to fight for our families and the services they deserve.
October 31, 2025 at 9:05 PM
That a federal judge had to block the Trump administration from pushing millions of Americans into hunger says everything about this President and the party he leads.
Grateful to our Attorney General for being on the frontlines of this fight.
Grateful to our Attorney General for being on the frontlines of this fight.
Reposted by Rebecca Best
The New York Post is owned by Lachlan Murdoch, solely because his daddy bought it and passed it on to him.
And it's backing Andrew Cuomo, a meathead whose whole career in politics stems from his daddy being good at it.
But *Mamdani* is the nepo baby, because his mom was a filmmaker? Sure.
And it's backing Andrew Cuomo, a meathead whose whole career in politics stems from his daddy being good at it.
But *Mamdani* is the nepo baby, because his mom was a filmmaker? Sure.
October 27, 2025 at 8:33 PM
The New York Post is owned by Lachlan Murdoch, solely because his daddy bought it and passed it on to him.
And it's backing Andrew Cuomo, a meathead whose whole career in politics stems from his daddy being good at it.
But *Mamdani* is the nepo baby, because his mom was a filmmaker? Sure.
And it's backing Andrew Cuomo, a meathead whose whole career in politics stems from his daddy being good at it.
But *Mamdani* is the nepo baby, because his mom was a filmmaker? Sure.
for some reason, I’m feeling very jealous of the French today.
October 22, 2025 at 12:05 AM
for some reason, I’m feeling very jealous of the French today.
Also a great example of why not to use passive voice (unless you’re trying to carry water for the administration
October 21, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Also a great example of why not to use passive voice (unless you’re trying to carry water for the administration
Kansas City showed up!
October 18, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Kansas City showed up!
Reposted by Rebecca Best
If you make jokes about gas chambers, rape and slavery, it's just 30 year old kids being kids.
If you don't mourn Charlie Kirk enough, you're a terrorist who must be fired from your job immediately.
If you don't mourn Charlie Kirk enough, you're a terrorist who must be fired from your job immediately.
October 16, 2025 at 4:57 PM
If you make jokes about gas chambers, rape and slavery, it's just 30 year old kids being kids.
If you don't mourn Charlie Kirk enough, you're a terrorist who must be fired from your job immediately.
If you don't mourn Charlie Kirk enough, you're a terrorist who must be fired from your job immediately.
Reposted by Rebecca Best
Hey ICE! Show your faces and display identification!
October 13, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Hey ICE! Show your faces and display identification!
Reposted by Rebecca Best
If this was happening in any other country you'd have journalists and analysts discussing risks of state failure
October 11, 2025 at 5:08 PM
If this was happening in any other country you'd have journalists and analysts discussing risks of state failure
Reposted by Rebecca Best
Hatch Act briefings once included the minutiae of what was allowable in terms of car bumper stickers in office parking garages. Now, absolutely, anything goes.
The Hatch Act is on fire.
The Hatch Act is on fire.
Government Workers Say Their Out-of-Office Replies Were Forcibly Changed to Blame Democrats for Shutdown
Some employees at the Department of Education changed their responses back to the more neutral language, only to have it changed yet again to the partisan response, multiple sources tell WIRED.
www.wired.com
October 3, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Hatch Act briefings once included the minutiae of what was allowable in terms of car bumper stickers in office parking garages. Now, absolutely, anything goes.
The Hatch Act is on fire.
The Hatch Act is on fire.
Reposted by Rebecca Best
🧵 Libertarian economist Tyler Cowen is making headlines for an extremely creepy post at Bari Weiss's blog fantasizing about robot virgins and the AI character Tilly Norwood.
Unfortunately, the story behind is much worse...
Unfortunately, the story behind is much worse...
October 3, 2025 at 3:40 AM
🧵 Libertarian economist Tyler Cowen is making headlines for an extremely creepy post at Bari Weiss's blog fantasizing about robot virgins and the AI character Tilly Norwood.
Unfortunately, the story behind is much worse...
Unfortunately, the story behind is much worse...
Reposted by Rebecca Best
If the President can raise his own revenues and direct his own spending without congressional approval we are squarely in the only situation the Constitution was actually drafted to avoid: English civil war territory
October 1, 2025 at 6:56 PM
If the President can raise his own revenues and direct his own spending without congressional approval we are squarely in the only situation the Constitution was actually drafted to avoid: English civil war territory
Reposted by Rebecca Best
If you're blaming the Democrats for the shutdown of a government that is run entirely by Republicans, why stop there?
Go wild, man. Blame the shutdown on leprechauns, or the Seattle Mariners, or maybe the cast of "She's the Sheriff."
You've decided facts don't matter, so have some fun with it!
Go wild, man. Blame the shutdown on leprechauns, or the Seattle Mariners, or maybe the cast of "She's the Sheriff."
You've decided facts don't matter, so have some fun with it!
October 1, 2025 at 12:53 PM
If you're blaming the Democrats for the shutdown of a government that is run entirely by Republicans, why stop there?
Go wild, man. Blame the shutdown on leprechauns, or the Seattle Mariners, or maybe the cast of "She's the Sheriff."
You've decided facts don't matter, so have some fun with it!
Go wild, man. Blame the shutdown on leprechauns, or the Seattle Mariners, or maybe the cast of "She's the Sheriff."
You've decided facts don't matter, so have some fun with it!
hey, that’s me! Seriously honored to be interviewed for this story
“When you view the military’s purpose as just about going out guns blazing and killing people, then you might think, well, you don’t need diversity to just go out and kill people. But you do need diversity if what you really need to do is problem-solve.” - @rebeccabestir.bsky.social
Pete Hegseth had a lot to say when he summoned military leaders. Here are some facts and context
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a shift in military policy, emphasizing a return to traditional standards and a focus on "the warrior ethos."
apnews.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:29 AM
hey, that’s me! Seriously honored to be interviewed for this story
Reposted by Rebecca Best
“When you view the military’s purpose as just about going out guns blazing and killing people, then you might think, well, you don’t need diversity to just go out and kill people. But you do need diversity if what you really need to do is problem-solve.” - @rebeccabestir.bsky.social
Pete Hegseth had a lot to say when he summoned military leaders. Here are some facts and context
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced a shift in military policy, emphasizing a return to traditional standards and a focus on "the warrior ethos."
apnews.com
October 1, 2025 at 1:34 AM
“When you view the military’s purpose as just about going out guns blazing and killing people, then you might think, well, you don’t need diversity to just go out and kill people. But you do need diversity if what you really need to do is problem-solve.” - @rebeccabestir.bsky.social
Reposted by Rebecca Best
Is the Russian military something the US military should aspire to?
Do you look at Russia’s military performance in Ukraine—3.5 years and a million casualties failing to conquer a smaller neighbor—and think “wow, I wish we could be more like that”?
Do you look at Russia’s military performance in Ukraine—3.5 years and a million casualties failing to conquer a smaller neighbor—and think “wow, I wish we could be more like that”?
Rep. Andy Harris: "I guarantee you China and Russia do not have woke policies in their military."
September 30, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Is the Russian military something the US military should aspire to?
Do you look at Russia’s military performance in Ukraine—3.5 years and a million casualties failing to conquer a smaller neighbor—and think “wow, I wish we could be more like that”?
Do you look at Russia’s military performance in Ukraine—3.5 years and a million casualties failing to conquer a smaller neighbor—and think “wow, I wish we could be more like that”?
Reposted by Rebecca Best
"More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history."
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Censorship Is the Authoritarian’s Dream
The right to free expression must include the right to say horrible and evil things.
www.insidehighered.com
September 19, 2025 at 10:24 AM
"More professors in the United States have been fired for controversial views in the past week than any other week in all of American history."
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
Horrified to see yet another political assassination AND another school shooting this year. Most of us reject violence, but our rhetoric (& the algorithms that enable hate mongers to go viral), culture, and gun laws enable so much violence.
September 11, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Horrified to see yet another political assassination AND another school shooting this year. Most of us reject violence, but our rhetoric (& the algorithms that enable hate mongers to go viral), culture, and gun laws enable so much violence.
Reposted by Rebecca Best
Going to be wild to have Clarence Thomas and other members of the court write that even the appearance of impropriety is sufficient to allow the President to remove Federal Reserve members from office, and then head off to Harlan Crow’s yacht
August 26, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Going to be wild to have Clarence Thomas and other members of the court write that even the appearance of impropriety is sufficient to allow the President to remove Federal Reserve members from office, and then head off to Harlan Crow’s yacht
Reposted by Rebecca Best
What do you want to know about...everything...that's going on in this economy? We're working on a special for this weekend -- listener questions wanted.
Here's the frame: what are the *real costs of what's happening.
hmu
Here's the frame: what are the *real costs of what's happening.
hmu
August 13, 2025 at 6:27 PM
What do you want to know about...everything...that's going on in this economy? We're working on a special for this weekend -- listener questions wanted.
Here's the frame: what are the *real costs of what's happening.
hmu
Here's the frame: what are the *real costs of what's happening.
hmu
Reposted by Rebecca Best
Why would any future recruit choose to sacrifice for a country that is so willing to betray those who have chosen to sacrifice for their country?
August 7, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Why would any future recruit choose to sacrifice for a country that is so willing to betray those who have chosen to sacrifice for their country?