Alexandra Mathieu
@alexmathieu.bsky.social
Bowdoin. Columbia. Current Yale Council on East Asian Studies postdoc. East Asian security, Japanese foreign policy, int'l status, nationalism, political behavior. Lowering my expectations 1 day at a time https://www.alexandramathieu.com
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
gotta say this whole business about ‘electing a muslim mayor is basically pissing on the graves of 9/11 victims’ is just…just shockingly racist stuff i mean what else is there to say about it
November 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM
gotta say this whole business about ‘electing a muslim mayor is basically pissing on the graves of 9/11 victims’ is just…just shockingly racist stuff i mean what else is there to say about it
I remember when this article came out and how huge swaths of the internet dismissed it on its face. Eight years later and "digital blackface" has proven itself to be such an important concept. www.teenvogue.com/story/digita...
November 2, 2025 at 5:14 PM
I remember when this article came out and how huge swaths of the internet dismissed it on its face. Eight years later and "digital blackface" has proven itself to be such an important concept. www.teenvogue.com/story/digita...
The intellectual critique in this thread is great but on a bit more of a personal note, as an alum, it is LAUGHABLE to paint Bowdoin as a hotbed of leftist ideology. I don't have the numbers, but consulting and finance were some of the top job placements for grads in my year (2015)
A few thoughts about this deeply-flawed Jeremy W. Peters article.(Gift link.) www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
How a Small Elite College in Maine Influenced Mamdani’s World View
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:58 PM
The intellectual critique in this thread is great but on a bit more of a personal note, as an alum, it is LAUGHABLE to paint Bowdoin as a hotbed of leftist ideology. I don't have the numbers, but consulting and finance were some of the top job placements for grads in my year (2015)
probably a bit edgy for academic circles, but everyday the voice in my head that whispers "Robert Putnam was right" grows louder and reading this article about gooning culture made that voice SCREAM harpers.org/archive/2025...
The Goon Squad, by Daniel Kolitz
Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation
harpers.org
October 28, 2025 at 1:02 AM
probably a bit edgy for academic circles, but everyday the voice in my head that whispers "Robert Putnam was right" grows louder and reading this article about gooning culture made that voice SCREAM harpers.org/archive/2025...
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
This is exactly how the Turkey's Erdoğan dictatorship succeeded in remaking all mainstream media into regime media.
Not mainly by overt censorship. Mostly by making it clear that media firms clearly communicating the truth about regime actions would be targeted by selective/perverted 'regulation'.
Not mainly by overt censorship. Mostly by making it clear that media firms clearly communicating the truth about regime actions would be targeted by selective/perverted 'regulation'.
Another disturbing example of how Trump silences dissent: "the chief content officer for our parent company... stated in a meeting that we should not run articles that could draw the attention of the Trump White House and have them try to shut us down." www.politico.com/news/magazin...
Opinion | I Quit My Job in the Face of Pro-Trump Censorship
A veteran journalist says his bosses were afraid of crossing the administration.
www.politico.com
October 24, 2025 at 3:28 PM
This is exactly how the Turkey's Erdoğan dictatorship succeeded in remaking all mainstream media into regime media.
Not mainly by overt censorship. Mostly by making it clear that media firms clearly communicating the truth about regime actions would be targeted by selective/perverted 'regulation'.
Not mainly by overt censorship. Mostly by making it clear that media firms clearly communicating the truth about regime actions would be targeted by selective/perverted 'regulation'.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
One thing the AWS outage should show is that these companies are far more embedded at the institutional level than people think and that’s precisely why students were asking their universities to disinvest rather than pushing individual boycotts.
October 20, 2025 at 11:58 AM
One thing the AWS outage should show is that these companies are far more embedded at the institutional level than people think and that’s precisely why students were asking their universities to disinvest rather than pushing individual boycotts.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Dutch intelligence suspends sharing arrangements with the US after concluding that high level intel was routinely being shared by the White House with their friends in the Kremlin. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...
Nederlandse diensten delen minder informatie met de VS: ‘Soms vertellen we dingen niet meer’
Het aantal dreigingen dat op Nederland afkomt is groot, zien de hoofden van de AIVD en de MIVD elke dag: niet alleen Russische agressie, maar ook de opmars van China als digitale macht en binnenlands ...
www.volkskrant.nl
October 19, 2025 at 1:24 AM
Dutch intelligence suspends sharing arrangements with the US after concluding that high level intel was routinely being shared by the White House with their friends in the Kremlin. www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/n...
He's from my hometown ❤
Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) at the Boston No Kings rally today, wore the trans pride flag like a scarf draped over his shoulders and included in his speech. "Because here in Massachusetts, we stand for what is right. We stand with trans people because trans rights are human rights."
October 19, 2025 at 3:19 AM
He's from my hometown ❤
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
We have posted an event report for the Japan Conference hosted at the Centre for the Study of Global Japan ealier this year. Thanks to all the participants for a great conference!
munkschool.utoronto.ca/csgj/news/ev...
munkschool.utoronto.ca/csgj/news/ev...
Event Report: Japan Conference: University of Toronto 2025
Japan conference 2025, university of toronto
munkschool.utoronto.ca
October 16, 2025 at 1:44 PM
We have posted an event report for the Japan Conference hosted at the Centre for the Study of Global Japan ealier this year. Thanks to all the participants for a great conference!
munkschool.utoronto.ca/csgj/news/ev...
munkschool.utoronto.ca/csgj/news/ev...
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
The subtext of this comment is that the Mayor of Boston is Asian-American, whereas the Mayor of Chicago (like almost everyone else that Trump refers to as “a low IQ person”) is Black.
Trump: "Boston had a bad mayor who at least is a reasonable IQ person. Most of them are low IQ. I mean, what's going on in Chicago ... "
October 15, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The subtext of this comment is that the Mayor of Boston is Asian-American, whereas the Mayor of Chicago (like almost everyone else that Trump refers to as “a low IQ person”) is Black.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
UPDATE: Following the firing of the director of the student newspaper, Indiana University has now cut the print edition of the newspaper entirely.
www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
October 15, 2025 at 8:22 PM
UPDATE: Following the firing of the director of the student newspaper, Indiana University has now cut the print edition of the newspaper entirely.
www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
www.idsnews.com/article/2025...
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
a lot of people want to read Trump and team's fossil fuel obsession as being about *money* but while there is of course a corruption element, it's primarily pure culture war stuff. even many of the big fossil fuel companies want to get into renewables because it's so obviously the future.
Coal production and employment in Wyoming has steadily been declining, much like the rest of the industry in the US.
Coal is a dead industry.
(Chart from here: www.uwyo.edu/cbea/wyoming... )
Coal is a dead industry.
(Chart from here: www.uwyo.edu/cbea/wyoming... )
October 13, 2025 at 7:17 PM
a lot of people want to read Trump and team's fossil fuel obsession as being about *money* but while there is of course a corruption element, it's primarily pure culture war stuff. even many of the big fossil fuel companies want to get into renewables because it's so obviously the future.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Director Christina Davis, Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social (2020-21), Kristi Govella @kristigovella.bsky.social (2017-18), and Sheila Smith @sheilasmithcfr.bsky.social (Distinguished Visitor, 2013-14) are quoted in The Dispatch article, "Japan's Iron Lady." tinyurl.com/yf3vmjpt
Japan’s Iron Lady
Sanae Takaichi is set to inherit a Japan reshaped by inflation, weak growth, and political turnover.
tinyurl.com
October 10, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Director Christina Davis, Charles McClean @cmcclean.bsky.social (2020-21), Kristi Govella @kristigovella.bsky.social (2017-18), and Sheila Smith @sheilasmithcfr.bsky.social (Distinguished Visitor, 2013-14) are quoted in The Dispatch article, "Japan's Iron Lady." tinyurl.com/yf3vmjpt
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Jack collaborated with neo-Nazi twins to make a documentary. He was a fan of white supremacist Richard Spencer. He has tweeted 1488, the alphanumeric code for Heil Hitler. He wrote an unreadable anti-antifa book. Last year he wrote a book abt the left called “Unhumans.” That he’s now speaking here…
From Donald Trump's Roundtable on Antifa just now —
"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."
— special guest Jack Posobiec
"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."
— special guest Jack Posobiec
October 8, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Jack collaborated with neo-Nazi twins to make a documentary. He was a fan of white supremacist Richard Spencer. He has tweeted 1488, the alphanumeric code for Heil Hitler. He wrote an unreadable anti-antifa book. Last year he wrote a book abt the left called “Unhumans.” That he’s now speaking here…
I have no less than 30 at any given moment bc I love the multi desktop feature and make LIBERAL use of it
How many browsing tabs do you typically have open?*
1: 6%
2-5: 54%
6-10: 14%
11-20: 8%
21-30: 2%
More than 30: 3%
*across all windows, on desktop/laptop
yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...
1: 6%
2-5: 54%
6-10: 14%
11-20: 8%
21-30: 2%
More than 30: 3%
*across all windows, on desktop/laptop
yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...
October 8, 2025 at 11:04 PM
I have no less than 30 at any given moment bc I love the multi desktop feature and make LIBERAL use of it
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.
Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race
southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...
Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race
southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...
Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children
Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.
southsideweekly.com
October 8, 2025 at 12:36 AM
Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.
Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race
southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...
Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race
southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...
Getting strong "glass cliff" vibes
Japan's governing party on Saturday elected Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line ultra-conservative and China hawk, as its new leader, making her likely to become the country's first female prime minister.
Japan's ruling party elects Sanae Takaichi as leader, likely to become first female PM
Japan's governing party on Saturday elected Sanae Takaichi, a hard-line ultra-conservative and China hawk, as its new leader, making her likely to become the country's first female prime minister.
n.pr
October 4, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Getting strong "glass cliff" vibes
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy
A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy
October 2, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Trump's higher ed ransom note is here - everyone would have to acquiesce to their unprecedented demands or not be "given priority for grants," plus they can demand "reimbursement" for "violations" www.wsj.com/us-news/educ...
A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy
A mechanism to enforce fealty. An attack on academic freedom and democracy
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
it is just a straightforward statement of fact to say that the trump administration sees any black student at an elite institution as one too many
So Much for Class-Based Affirmative Action
The Trump administration considers even race-blind admissions policies illegal if they’re intended to achieve diversity.
www.theatlantic.com
September 28, 2025 at 12:13 AM
it is just a straightforward statement of fact to say that the trump administration sees any black student at an elite institution as one too many
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
WaPo: Pentagon says it will require reporters "to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey."
September 20, 2025 at 4:42 AM
WaPo: Pentagon says it will require reporters "to pledge they won’t gather any information — even unclassified — that hasn’t been expressly authorized for release and will revoke the press credentials of those who do not obey."
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion.
Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.
Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.
September 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Critical part of the President's new $100,000 charge for H1-B visas: The Administration can also offer a $100,000 discount to any person, company, or industry that it wants. Replacing rules with arbitrary discretion.
Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.
Want visas? You know who to call and who to flatter.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
The key problem with what Ezra Klein says here is that he fails – or is unwilling – to grapple with the fundamental reality of the political conflict: The movement that dominates today’s Right fully rejects the very idea of “living here with each other” as equals. That’s their defining position.
"All I can say for me in the work I do is that I want to create a space that takes our disagreements seriously, that takes the stakes of them seriously, the consequences for people seriously, but does so without deepening our divisions irreparably. We are going to have to live here with each other"
September 18, 2025 at 12:10 PM
The key problem with what Ezra Klein says here is that he fails – or is unwilling – to grapple with the fundamental reality of the political conflict: The movement that dominates today’s Right fully rejects the very idea of “living here with each other” as equals. That’s their defining position.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
When I was placed on the Professor Watchlist in 2021, people sent death threats about my children. I had security officers monitor my 8yo at school.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
September 15, 2025 at 8:25 PM
When I was placed on the Professor Watchlist in 2021, people sent death threats about my children. I had security officers monitor my 8yo at school.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Where is all the outrage for those of us who have been targeted for years? Where is the outrage for our families?
My own colleagues are silent.
Reposted by Alexandra Mathieu
it’s early but it seems like maybe this is relevant again (wrote it last week fml)
September 12, 2025 at 2:37 PM
it’s early but it seems like maybe this is relevant again (wrote it last week fml)