Sharon
@sharonk.bsky.social
political theologian at the ministry for the future
interests: classics, history, philosophy, conflict + IR, economics, foreign policy, climate change, east asia (korea + japan)
words: Foreign Policy + LiberalCurrents
interests: classics, history, philosophy, conflict + IR, economics, foreign policy, climate change, east asia (korea + japan)
words: Foreign Policy + LiberalCurrents
Pinned
Reposted by Sharon
I don’t know anything about Albert Speer’s architectural abilities, but I know he was a fucking asshole.
Similarly, if you do cute little thought experiments to aid and abet these criminals you’re actually helping evil.
Don’t do that.
Similarly, if you do cute little thought experiments to aid and abet these criminals you’re actually helping evil.
Don’t do that.
January 8, 2026 at 8:20 PM
I don’t know anything about Albert Speer’s architectural abilities, but I know he was a fucking asshole.
Similarly, if you do cute little thought experiments to aid and abet these criminals you’re actually helping evil.
Don’t do that.
Similarly, if you do cute little thought experiments to aid and abet these criminals you’re actually helping evil.
Don’t do that.
Reposted by Sharon
I just don’t get it.
January 8, 2026 at 8:17 PM
I just don’t get it.
Reposted by Sharon
But presumably any effort to make this outrage attractive to individual Greenlanders would also involve the US taking over and operating its single-payer/single-provider health system — otherwise those $100k payments would go down the drain real quick
January 8, 2026 at 8:47 PM
But presumably any effort to make this outrage attractive to individual Greenlanders would also involve the US taking over and operating its single-payer/single-provider health system — otherwise those $100k payments would go down the drain real quick
Reposted by Sharon
funniest thing which could happen in 2026 is Vivek switching parties after winning the Ohio gubernatorial primary resulting in a Republican shutout (this probably also would screw Husted by depressing turnout)
crazy that vivek left the hitler website before a bunch of dems did
Vivek Ramaswamy has deleted his Twitter and Instagram accounts because, he says, it’s “coordinated influence that hides behind armies of avatars, creating a false impression of grassroots support”.
This behavior is the engine that runs MAGA, so it’s interesting to see him acknowledge that.
This behavior is the engine that runs MAGA, so it’s interesting to see him acknowledge that.
January 8, 2026 at 8:48 PM
funniest thing which could happen in 2026 is Vivek switching parties after winning the Ohio gubernatorial primary resulting in a Republican shutout (this probably also would screw Husted by depressing turnout)
Reposted by Sharon
not impossible that by decade's end Iran will be freer than America. what a world
Security forces in Iran are now firing on protesters in cities like Tehran and Khorramabad. In Tehran, demonstrators reportedly set fire to the headquarters of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
January 8, 2026 at 8:43 PM
not impossible that by decade's end Iran will be freer than America. what a world
Reposted by Sharon
I find the Greenland stuff reminiscent of the Canada debacle, where I don’t know whether dwelling on the total lunacy of the “policies” under “discussion” heightens or detracts from the moral offense and wickedness of the underlying idea
Wait wait wait, while Americans have to pay hundreds of billions of dollars in new tariffs, Trump is going send over $10,000 to each person in *Greenland*?????????
This is a joke right ?
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
This is a joke right ?
www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Exclusive: Trump administration mulls payments to sway Greenlanders to join US
U.S. officials have discussed sending lump sum payments to Greenlanders as part of a bid to convince them to secede from Denmark and potentially join the United States, according to four sources famil...
www.reuters.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:45 PM
I find the Greenland stuff reminiscent of the Canada debacle, where I don’t know whether dwelling on the total lunacy of the “policies” under “discussion” heightens or detracts from the moral offense and wickedness of the underlying idea
Reposted by Sharon
New from @ccpa-tirp.bsky.social: A look at possible scenarios for what the next year looks like in Canada-U.S. trade relations, where the field of possibilities is wide open and unpredictable. By Stuart Trew #CanadaUSTradeWar
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Countdown to the CUSMA review - CCPA
There goes the neighbourhood. I’m talking about the Western Hemisphere, America’s “backyard” in the now fully operational Donroe Doctrine. Canada-U.S. relations, a constant preoccupation of public deb...
www.policyalternatives.ca
January 8, 2026 at 8:03 PM
New from @ccpa-tirp.bsky.social: A look at possible scenarios for what the next year looks like in Canada-U.S. trade relations, where the field of possibilities is wide open and unpredictable. By Stuart Trew #CanadaUSTradeWar
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Reposted by Sharon
The U.S. is spending $37.5B on ICE this year—more than Canada’s entire military budget. That’s double the EPA, FDA, and OSHA combined.
It costs every household $300/yr for ICE to terrorize their neighbors. Even if ICE meets its cruel goal of 1M deportations, that’s $37.5K per person. For what?
It costs every household $300/yr for ICE to terrorize their neighbors. Even if ICE meets its cruel goal of 1M deportations, that’s $37.5K per person. For what?
January 8, 2026 at 8:38 PM
The U.S. is spending $37.5B on ICE this year—more than Canada’s entire military budget. That’s double the EPA, FDA, and OSHA combined.
It costs every household $300/yr for ICE to terrorize their neighbors. Even if ICE meets its cruel goal of 1M deportations, that’s $37.5K per person. For what?
It costs every household $300/yr for ICE to terrorize their neighbors. Even if ICE meets its cruel goal of 1M deportations, that’s $37.5K per person. For what?
Reposted by Sharon
It both means that the talent pipeline from local government is not as experienced as it should be, but also I suspect means that people who would be happier being powerful local politicians become frustrated, not very effective legislators instead.
January 8, 2026 at 6:48 PM
It both means that the talent pipeline from local government is not as experienced as it should be, but also I suspect means that people who would be happier being powerful local politicians become frustrated, not very effective legislators instead.
Reposted by Sharon
I think Bob (as per, you should follow him if you don't already) is completely right here. Think weakening local government has both directly harmed the effectiveness of the government by creating an overburdened and flabby centre, but also has had a negative consequence on MP candidate quality.
I keep trying to work out when the period of "lost central state capacity" existed. It always seems to coincide with powerful local government delivering almost everything important to the country.
Starmer, Farage, Badenoch et al share a strange consensus: that state capacity is broken, and the answer is a stronger prime minister in a faster, more centralised system - pulling levers like the Fat Controller and grabbing power back from agencies. Is it smart?
www.economist.com/britain/2026...
www.economist.com/britain/2026...
January 8, 2026 at 6:40 PM
I think Bob (as per, you should follow him if you don't already) is completely right here. Think weakening local government has both directly harmed the effectiveness of the government by creating an overburdened and flabby centre, but also has had a negative consequence on MP candidate quality.
Reposted by Sharon
Essentially no-one on Forest Twitter is seeing a political post from a pro-system party. It’s like trying to use Threads for breaking news.
January 8, 2026 at 8:34 PM
Essentially no-one on Forest Twitter is seeing a political post from a pro-system party. It’s like trying to use Threads for breaking news.
Reposted by Sharon
It’s not “nicer” in lots of ways! You just have not absorbed the actual argument James is making.
January 8, 2026 at 8:32 PM
It’s not “nicer” in lots of ways! You just have not absorbed the actual argument James is making.
Reposted by Sharon
This is the thing about the "Don't give them the pretext to send in more feds" arguments. The administration is using its own murder of an unarmed civilian as the pretext to send in more agents. They do not need a pretext and will invent them if they want.
Trump Administration Deploying More Border Patrol Agents to Minnesota
www.nytimes.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:33 PM
This is the thing about the "Don't give them the pretext to send in more feds" arguments. The administration is using its own murder of an unarmed civilian as the pretext to send in more agents. They do not need a pretext and will invent them if they want.
Reposted by Sharon
The thing about saying that this is just the college-educated liberal cosmopolitan urban middle-class is that that's still a pretty sizable percentage of the country, and a political strategy that depends on them not having any kind of active voice or influence is one doomed to failure.
elites have got no idea just how apocalyptically angry ordinary people are about this shit
January 8, 2026 at 8:30 PM
The thing about saying that this is just the college-educated liberal cosmopolitan urban middle-class is that that's still a pretty sizable percentage of the country, and a political strategy that depends on them not having any kind of active voice or influence is one doomed to failure.
Reposted by Sharon
Hardly a trend restricted to just Israelis and Americans, every regime alleges foreign or militant support for even peaceful displays of dissent but it's really silly when you're talking about a rock or brick. You can find these everywhere and it costs zero dollars to throw them.
January 8, 2026 at 8:15 PM
Hardly a trend restricted to just Israelis and Americans, every regime alleges foreign or militant support for even peaceful displays of dissent but it's really silly when you're talking about a rock or brick. You can find these everywhere and it costs zero dollars to throw them.
Reposted by Sharon
Mad King hours
Asked in a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
Full Story: bit.ly/4jsbyJC
Full Story: bit.ly/4jsbyJC
January 8, 2026 at 8:03 PM
Mad King hours
Reposted by Sharon
saw a surfer on instagram call another surfer who was upset about masked federal agents murdering a woman in Minneapolis "a statist"
I think they're getting a little confused
I think they're getting a little confused
January 8, 2026 at 8:17 PM
saw a surfer on instagram call another surfer who was upset about masked federal agents murdering a woman in Minneapolis "a statist"
I think they're getting a little confused
I think they're getting a little confused
Reposted by Sharon
No one who treated "wear a mask when you enter this store" as horrific tyranny actually believe in deference to state authority.
It's Schmittian friend-enemy politics all the way down. "We" should be able to do whatever we feel like without consequence. "They" should be harassed, repressed, killed.
It's Schmittian friend-enemy politics all the way down. "We" should be able to do whatever we feel like without consequence. "They" should be harassed, repressed, killed.
January 8, 2026 at 2:56 PM
No one who treated "wear a mask when you enter this store" as horrific tyranny actually believe in deference to state authority.
It's Schmittian friend-enemy politics all the way down. "We" should be able to do whatever we feel like without consequence. "They" should be harassed, repressed, killed.
It's Schmittian friend-enemy politics all the way down. "We" should be able to do whatever we feel like without consequence. "They" should be harassed, repressed, killed.
Reposted by Sharon
I get considerably more views and interaction of this site than most govt ministers combined on Twitter.
There is no space to fill. No one sees their content.
There is no space to fill. No one sees their content.
Government should stay on X despite the Grok scandal, Keir Starmer's former communications director has said
James Lyons, who worked at TikTok before serving in Downing St, told PolHome podcast The Rundown that quitting Elon Musk's platform would leave a "vacuum" for Labour's rivals to fill
James Lyons, who worked at TikTok before serving in Downing St, told PolHome podcast The Rundown that quitting Elon Musk's platform would leave a "vacuum" for Labour's rivals to fill
Government Shouldn’t Quit X Over Grok Scandal, Says Former No10 Comms Director
The government should not quit X as doing so would leave a 'vacuum' for its political rivals to fill, Keir Starmer's former communications director...
www.politicshome.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:03 PM
I get considerably more views and interaction of this site than most govt ministers combined on Twitter.
There is no space to fill. No one sees their content.
There is no space to fill. No one sees their content.
Reposted by Sharon
bsky.app/profile/hann... He's been! He's been! The first millennial VP is accusing people of "gaslighting" online!
You can tell things are going well when the VP is tweeting through it.
January 8, 2026 at 7:31 PM
bsky.app/profile/hann... He's been! He's been! The first millennial VP is accusing people of "gaslighting" online!
Reposted by Sharon
All politics is identity politics 👍
it's sort of funny that white is now an epithet on the right if paired with woman and liberal
January 8, 2026 at 8:01 PM
All politics is identity politics 👍
Reposted by Sharon
January 8, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Reposted by Sharon
Not really relevant but just remembering once again how the McGuinty Liberals carved out an exemption to let York Region levy a development charge for the Vaughan subway extension while Toronto was forbidden from doing so.
Asked why other munis like Vaughan have been able to reduce dev charges more than T.O, the CFO says ~42% of Toronto DC rev goes to TTC — other cities don't have subways, etc. Also T.O. opted to use recent fed/prov funding to fund housing programs, instead of just using them to replace DC rev.
January 8, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Not really relevant but just remembering once again how the McGuinty Liberals carved out an exemption to let York Region levy a development charge for the Vaughan subway extension while Toronto was forbidden from doing so.
Reposted by Sharon
At last we have elected the king from the constitution, No Kings.
Asked “if there were any limits on his global powers, Mr. Trump said: “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. My own mind. It’s the only thing that can stop me.”
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
@nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
January 8, 2026 at 8:02 PM
At last we have elected the king from the constitution, No Kings.
Reposted by Sharon
Equal-weight consumer staples +2.8%
Homebuilders +4.5%
$NVDA -2.6%
Weird day.
Homebuilders +4.5%
$NVDA -2.6%
Weird day.
January 8, 2026 at 7:29 PM
Equal-weight consumer staples +2.8%
Homebuilders +4.5%
$NVDA -2.6%
Weird day.
Homebuilders +4.5%
$NVDA -2.6%
Weird day.