Third Thoughts
@thirdthoughts.bsky.social
Ex-academic political scientist/theorist.🏳️⚧️ rights are human rights. Nuance > Hot Takes. Youtube vids on political history and philosophy. Em dash user from the Before Times.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThirdThoughtsYT
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThirdThoughtsYT
Working on a video, and came across the fact that Earl Warren was governor of California during Japanese Internment and heavily advocated for it - only to very clearly regret it later in life, including as early as 1944.
Can't help but wonder: how much of the Warren Court reflected that guilt?
Can't help but wonder: how much of the Warren Court reflected that guilt?
![From Wikipedia: By early 1944, Warren had come to regret his role in the internment of Japanese Americans, and he eventually approved of the federal government's decision to allow Japanese Americans to begin returning to California in December 1944; however, he long resisted any public expression of regret in spite of years of repeated requests from the Japanese American community.
In a 1972 oral history interview, Warren said that "I feel that everybody who had anything to do with the relocation of the Japanese, after it was all over, had something of a guilty consciousness about it, and wanted to show that it wasn't a racial thing as much as it was a defense matter." When during the interview Warren mentioned the faces of the children separated from their parents, he broke down in tears and the interview was temporarily halted. In 1974, shortly before his death, Warren privately confided to journalist and former internee Morse Saito that he greatly regretted his actions during the evacuation.
In his posthumously published memoirs, Warren fully acknowledged his error, stating that he
since deeply regretted the removal order and my own testimony advocating it, because it was not in keeping with our American concept of freedom and the rights of citizens... Whenever I thought of the innocent little children who were torn from home, school friends, and congenial surroundings, I was conscience-stricken... [i]t was wrong to react so impulsively, without positive evidence of disloyalty.
— The Memoirs of Earl Warren (1977)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:wjc3iwnxxxemr4bsp4hkjdnn/bafkreifktmlfmimivj54e266gfig2mm2w77s5ynm3ac6re7jyacorerm4e@jpeg)
February 18, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Working on a video, and came across the fact that Earl Warren was governor of California during Japanese Internment and heavily advocated for it - only to very clearly regret it later in life, including as early as 1944.
Can't help but wonder: how much of the Warren Court reflected that guilt?
Can't help but wonder: how much of the Warren Court reflected that guilt?
Reposted by Third Thoughts
Me when I see another culture that has a fun food filled holiday.
a man wearing a robotic helmet has the word assimilate written on his face
ALT: a man wearing a robotic helmet has the word assimilate written on his face
media.tenor.com
February 17, 2026 at 7:09 PM
Me when I see another culture that has a fun food filled holiday.
First thought: that explains why the numbers have needed constant revision, and probably why the revision has been downward so consistently, and at such a large magnitude. When response rate drops, the first people to fall off are low social trust folks, which includes the unemployed.
Our grasp on reality is slipping. The response rate to the survey behind the unemployment rate (and the rest of the household survey) is now lower than during the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
The decline in response rates during the first year of the Trump Admin 2.0 was larger than at any time outside the pandemic.
February 17, 2026 at 1:45 AM
First thought: that explains why the numbers have needed constant revision, and probably why the revision has been downward so consistently, and at such a large magnitude. When response rate drops, the first people to fall off are low social trust folks, which includes the unemployed.
Hard to overstate the importance of a working court system.
Feds open a perjury probe into ICE officers' testimony about the shooting of a Venezuelan man
Federal authorities have opened a criminal probe into whether two immigration officers lied under oath about a shooting in Minneapolis last month, as all charges were dropped against two Venezuelan me...
apnews.com
February 13, 2026 at 11:26 PM
Hard to overstate the importance of a working court system.
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You can argue w/ BLS stats, but disbelieving them because "they did a revision" or because something looks off and you didn't look up how it was calculated is moon hoax level analysis. It works the same a way. You don't understand. You don't try to understand. You extrapolate to confirm your biases.
February 13, 2026 at 10:30 PM
You can argue w/ BLS stats, but disbelieving them because "they did a revision" or because something looks off and you didn't look up how it was calculated is moon hoax level analysis. It works the same a way. You don't understand. You don't try to understand. You extrapolate to confirm your biases.
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Evergreen. From "The Drumhead"
February 13, 2026 at 4:16 PM
Evergreen. From "The Drumhead"
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It’s the ordering an espresso martini in the first place that I’m judging
February 13, 2026 at 8:05 AM
It’s the ordering an espresso martini in the first place that I’m judging
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“Now this Nick, so called ‘Derogatory’ by a riotous clan of detractors who dwelt in the realm of Blue Sky, was of Nickland, and bore its name with great bitterness, for a philosopher of ill repute had claimed it, and so he passed into exile among the men of the West.“
Yes in a Lazy Tolkien kinda way.
February 13, 2026 at 5:56 AM
“Now this Nick, so called ‘Derogatory’ by a riotous clan of detractors who dwelt in the realm of Blue Sky, was of Nickland, and bore its name with great bitterness, for a philosopher of ill repute had claimed it, and so he passed into exile among the men of the West.“
This is cursed. So of course I looked it up - apparently penis enlargement during suit measurement to get a bigger crotch in the suit, to increase lift.
Which raises the question (among other things)... if I have a big enough dick, will they allow a hang-glider?
Which raises the question (among other things)... if I have a big enough dick, will they allow a hang-glider?
oh yeah the dick acid ski jumper controversy
February 13, 2026 at 8:15 AM
This is cursed. So of course I looked it up - apparently penis enlargement during suit measurement to get a bigger crotch in the suit, to increase lift.
Which raises the question (among other things)... if I have a big enough dick, will they allow a hang-glider?
Which raises the question (among other things)... if I have a big enough dick, will they allow a hang-glider?
I'm not sure its entirely feasible given the private enterprise element, though I agree. My compromise would be mandatory Americorps with extensions. Including the requirement that they experience applying for benefits while paying their own rent.
Not sure how to handle parent $$ though.
Not sure how to handle parent $$ though.
Honestly should make everyone do food service or retail for a little bit before going to a white collar job
Yeah, working at the university cafeteria freshman and sophomore years was probably a good formative experience
February 12, 2026 at 1:15 PM
I'm not sure its entirely feasible given the private enterprise element, though I agree. My compromise would be mandatory Americorps with extensions. Including the requirement that they experience applying for benefits while paying their own rent.
Not sure how to handle parent $$ though.
Not sure how to handle parent $$ though.
Cartel drone is apparently the right-wing DHS thug version of UFO.
Sorry fuckos, its just a foil balloon in the wind.
Sorry fuckos, its just a foil balloon in the wind.
According to multiple NYT sources, it wasn’t even military personnel at Fort Bliss that fired an anti-drone laser at alleged cartel drones. It was CBP who used the weapon on loan from DoD against a child’s party balloon they mistook for a drone. The Pentagon gave CBP an anti-aircraft weapon.
February 12, 2026 at 12:52 PM
Cartel drone is apparently the right-wing DHS thug version of UFO.
Sorry fuckos, its just a foil balloon in the wind.
Sorry fuckos, its just a foil balloon in the wind.
I've suspected this was the dynamic for a while. Because all you need to know is that there are always party planners for the very rich - just look at the toxic elements of LA Hollywood-adjacent parties.
The question was really just about how organized he and Ghislaine were. Vileness was assumed.
The question was really just about how organized he and Ghislaine were. Vileness was assumed.
That doesn’t mean some number of those people didn’t do terrible things with him, but the dynamic was less “pimp for the pedophile class” or “king of blackmail” and more “extremely debauched guy who they all like because he’s debauched, but all convinced themselves must have other good qualities”
February 12, 2026 at 12:49 PM
I've suspected this was the dynamic for a while. Because all you need to know is that there are always party planners for the very rich - just look at the toxic elements of LA Hollywood-adjacent parties.
The question was really just about how organized he and Ghislaine were. Vileness was assumed.
The question was really just about how organized he and Ghislaine were. Vileness was assumed.
Calling them "Gatsby figures" is an excellent reference from Will. That's exactly what they are, and a big part of the book. Loose financial regulation breeds an ecosystem of frauds looking to capitalize on wealthy people who like to gamble and have so many assets that they can't go broke.
Yes! This really feels like it. Rich, powerful, famous people are often stupid in exactly this way: they assume they have access to all the secret geniuses of the world, don’t realize that most of that is a mirage of wealth, and aren’t sharp enough to catch frauds. So you get these Gatsby figures
February 12, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Calling them "Gatsby figures" is an excellent reference from Will. That's exactly what they are, and a big part of the book. Loose financial regulation breeds an ecosystem of frauds looking to capitalize on wealthy people who like to gamble and have so many assets that they can't go broke.
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“I know a guy who can massively beat the market” no you don’t
“I know a guy who can make you ten years younger” no you don’t
“I know a guy who is an erudite lover of philosophy and physics and math, and genius investor but also a great time at parties with lots of girls” no you don’t
“I know a guy who can make you ten years younger” no you don’t
“I know a guy who is an erudite lover of philosophy and physics and math, and genius investor but also a great time at parties with lots of girls” no you don’t
This is also super true of the billionaire doomsday bunker phenomenon. They’re not in possession of secret information about an impending societal collapse, you can just make a lot of money convincing billionaires that they need an all-amenities apocalypse lair.
February 12, 2026 at 12:37 PM
“I know a guy who can massively beat the market” no you don’t
“I know a guy who can make you ten years younger” no you don’t
“I know a guy who is an erudite lover of philosophy and physics and math, and genius investor but also a great time at parties with lots of girls” no you don’t
“I know a guy who can make you ten years younger” no you don’t
“I know a guy who is an erudite lover of philosophy and physics and math, and genius investor but also a great time at parties with lots of girls” no you don’t
InfantryDort has entered his Zakalwe impersonation phase
infantrydort is crashing out about the epstien files in the most melodramatic way possible
February 12, 2026 at 12:28 AM
InfantryDort has entered his Zakalwe impersonation phase
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NEW: ICE is crashing the US court system in Minnesota. Thanks to Trump's push to detain an unprecedented number of people, and its attempt to kill bond hearings, petitions to secure people's release from custody have skyrocketed. @regret.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-cr...
February 11, 2026 at 9:26 PM
NEW: ICE is crashing the US court system in Minnesota. Thanks to Trump's push to detain an unprecedented number of people, and its attempt to kill bond hearings, petitions to secure people's release from custody have skyrocketed. @regret.bsky.social w/ the scoop: www.wired.com/story/ice-cr...
Hot take: I think Zakalwe might be the least interesting problematic character in The Culture. What makes the books so interesting, to me, is the way people *raised in* luxury gay space communism nevertheless find ways to be miserable misanthropes. Zakalwe, raised outside, was too obvious.
February 10, 2026 at 4:53 PM
Hot take: I think Zakalwe might be the least interesting problematic character in The Culture. What makes the books so interesting, to me, is the way people *raised in* luxury gay space communism nevertheless find ways to be miserable misanthropes. Zakalwe, raised outside, was too obvious.
Takes like this are so dumb. Y'all need to watch Game of Thrones and actually understand it. Varys was always right.
"Power resides where people *believe* it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall."
"Power resides where people *believe* it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall."
Legitimacy flows from the barrel of a gun. If the military accepts that they're taking orders from that Congress, then they're as legitimate as they need to be.
If we've gotten to that point, legitimacy no longer matters.
If we've gotten to that point, legitimacy no longer matters.
February 10, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Takes like this are so dumb. Y'all need to watch Game of Thrones and actually understand it. Varys was always right.
"Power resides where people *believe* it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall."
"Power resides where people *believe* it resides. It's a trick, a shadow on the wall."
I blame the stupid virgin gangbang meme. Never would've known before bluesky and I was happier not knowing tbqh.
If you know who the person with the sign is, you are literally in the top 1% of online human beings. Trying to explain her background to other people, and how she has played a not significant part in modern culture, makes you sound genuinely insane
L M A O
February 10, 2026 at 4:08 PM
I blame the stupid virgin gangbang meme. Never would've known before bluesky and I was happier not knowing tbqh.
Emphasis on the "like clockwork" part. Online mutual aid is OK for occasional supplemental projects and emergencies. But it is not a viable modern supplement to state social insurance, family and friend connections, etc. And it is trivially easy to be a grifter in the space.
another one of my more reactionary opinions is people posting monthly rent go fund mes like clockwork should be bullied off the internet and told to spend all that new free time to get a real job
February 10, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Emphasis on the "like clockwork" part. Online mutual aid is OK for occasional supplemental projects and emergencies. But it is not a viable modern supplement to state social insurance, family and friend connections, etc. And it is trivially easy to be a grifter in the space.
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honestly, i'm not surprised by this? and, in fact, having an algo go "oh hey an edge case? Im gonna ask for human intervention" is good, actually futurism.com/advanced-tra...
It Turns Out That When Waymos Are Stumped, They Get Intervention From Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:16 PM
honestly, i'm not surprised by this? and, in fact, having an algo go "oh hey an edge case? Im gonna ask for human intervention" is good, actually futurism.com/advanced-tra...
Very useful thread if you want to actually understand US-Soviet history. The discussion with John is especially illuminating.
i have complicated feelings about the red scare because a) the second red scare mostly targeted random innocent people and also b) the reason there was no one guilty left to target is that the first red scare mostly swept up all the soviet agents trying to infiltrate america
the vassal states of the famously non-colonialist soviet union might beg to differ.
February 8, 2026 at 7:48 PM
Very useful thread if you want to actually understand US-Soviet history. The discussion with John is especially illuminating.
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There were 3 things going on simultaneously, that both communist hunters and communists want to conflate.
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
February 7, 2026 at 11:12 PM
There were 3 things going on simultaneously, that both communist hunters and communists want to conflate.
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
1) quest for actual Communist spies working for the Soviets
2) quest to purge certain sectors of society (like Hollywood) of Communists and fellow travelers supposedly corrupting society...
Reposted by Third Thoughts
What? Are you saying that there was no one guilty to target in the 1940s because they'd all been rounded up in 1919? Because that is...not true. If you mean that McCarthyism targeted random innocent people and that earlier communist hunting in the 40s had gotten rid of real Communists, that's true
February 7, 2026 at 11:09 PM