Austin S. Matthews
@austinsmatthews.bsky.social
Assistant Professor, East Carolina University. Dictatorships, regime change, and political violence.
In the southern Caribbean, the nation of Grenada grapples with renewed geopolitical attention. Once again, the United States sees its wider interests run through the small island and ironically its international airport. Struggling with its revolutionary past.
nowgrenada.com/2025/10/no-l...
nowgrenada.com/2025/10/no-l...
No longer anyone’s backyard | NOW Grenada
nowgrenada.com
October 28, 2025 at 1:02 PM
In the southern Caribbean, the nation of Grenada grapples with renewed geopolitical attention. Once again, the United States sees its wider interests run through the small island and ironically its international airport. Struggling with its revolutionary past.
nowgrenada.com/2025/10/no-l...
nowgrenada.com/2025/10/no-l...
The recent coup wave continues: the military has seized power in Madagascar amidst protests. The president (on the run) interestingly was himself installed via a coup in the early 2010s. Latest episode of youth protests parlayed into a coup.
www.bbc.com/news/live/cq...
www.bbc.com/news/live/cq...
Elite Madagascar military unit says it has seized power from President Andry Rajoelina
MPs have voted to impeach President Andry Rajoelina, who has reportedly fled the country following anti-government protests.
www.bbc.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:34 PM
The recent coup wave continues: the military has seized power in Madagascar amidst protests. The president (on the run) interestingly was himself installed via a coup in the early 2010s. Latest episode of youth protests parlayed into a coup.
www.bbc.com/news/live/cq...
www.bbc.com/news/live/cq...
Archival work yielding some irrelevant, yet incredible, findings.
August 7, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Archival work yielding some irrelevant, yet incredible, findings.
In case anyone was wondering how US regional universities are doing. We just had all graduate assistantships pulled. Funding cuts every year since I arrived. Dept is down three people and can't hire replacements. Yet, construction everywhere and big celebrations of our R1 status upgrade.
June 4, 2025 at 6:11 PM
In case anyone was wondering how US regional universities are doing. We just had all graduate assistantships pulled. Funding cuts every year since I arrived. Dept is down three people and can't hire replacements. Yet, construction everywhere and big celebrations of our R1 status upgrade.
Thread of my findings from the released JFK files. Not making any deep judgements, just general observations based on what I know. Cuba in particular.
March 19, 2025 at 12:47 AM
Thread of my findings from the released JFK files. Not making any deep judgements, just general observations based on what I know. Cuba in particular.
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with some journal editors? How can a paper be reasonably under review for over five months? This is malpractice.
March 4, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Seriously, what the hell is wrong with some journal editors? How can a paper be reasonably under review for over five months? This is malpractice.
That whole press conference was a disgusting and shameful set-up. Bunch of absolute jackals.
February 28, 2025 at 10:55 PM
That whole press conference was a disgusting and shameful set-up. Bunch of absolute jackals.
Reviewer said my historical narrative was written `bit too poetically.' Presented as a criticism, but I'm flattered they recognized my prose.
January 10, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Reviewer said my historical narrative was written `bit too poetically.' Presented as a criticism, but I'm flattered they recognized my prose.
Just found a 1979 secret police memo assessing the `political loyalty' of the guy who drove me around in his taxi over the summer.
December 19, 2024 at 4:33 PM
Just found a 1979 secret police memo assessing the `political loyalty' of the guy who drove me around in his taxi over the summer.
#Dictatorsky Can anyone give me some solid recommendations for papers that are: 1) qual studies of an individual institution in a single regime; 2) in a dictatorship; 3) published in a political science (or adjacent) journal?
December 19, 2024 at 1:24 PM
#Dictatorsky Can anyone give me some solid recommendations for papers that are: 1) qual studies of an individual institution in a single regime; 2) in a dictatorship; 3) published in a political science (or adjacent) journal?
Found a circular from the commander of the Grenada People's Revolutionary Army warning his soldiers in December 1980 not to fall into a "jingle bells mentality".
December 18, 2024 at 2:52 PM
Found a circular from the commander of the Grenada People's Revolutionary Army warning his soldiers in December 1980 not to fall into a "jingle bells mentality".
Found a bunch of secret police memos from communist Grenada (1979-1983) that makes it sound like they were in a shadow war with the Rastafarians. Started after Bishop didn't give `King Nang Nang' a cabinet spot after the revolution, leading to a fall-out.
December 18, 2024 at 2:44 AM
Found a bunch of secret police memos from communist Grenada (1979-1983) that makes it sound like they were in a shadow war with the Rastafarians. Started after Bishop didn't give `King Nang Nang' a cabinet spot after the revolution, leading to a fall-out.
I will be in DC this week for research at the National Archives. Digitizing portions of the Grenada seized documents, which were taken during the 1983 invasion by the US and CARICOM participants. My focus will be on civil-military and state security developments.
December 16, 2024 at 12:15 PM
I will be in DC this week for research at the National Archives. Digitizing portions of the Grenada seized documents, which were taken during the 1983 invasion by the US and CARICOM participants. My focus will be on civil-military and state security developments.
al-Golani states the Assad security forces will be dissolved. Abolishing the old military is a major transformative project, intended to build a new loyal army from the rebel columns. However, transformation alone is not enough to develop military cohesion and loyalty.
www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...
Syrian rebel leader says he will dissolve regime forces, as Syrians return to work | CBC News
Syrian rebel leader Ahmad al-Sharaa - better known as Abu Mohammed al-Golani - said in a written statement Wednesday that he would dissolve the security forces of the toppled regime of Bashar al-Assad...
www.cbc.ca
December 12, 2024 at 1:16 PM
al-Golani states the Assad security forces will be dissolved. Abolishing the old military is a major transformative project, intended to build a new loyal army from the rebel columns. However, transformation alone is not enough to develop military cohesion and loyalty.
www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...
www.cbc.ca/news/world/s...
Syria's rebels are in a tenuous position based on origins. There are many factions in the coalition that ousted Assad, this creates extreme disharmony in the new elite. Possible violent purges to consolidate positions. Makes for a strong likelihood of rebellions or coups by those that get sidelined.
December 11, 2024 at 1:56 AM
Syria's rebels are in a tenuous position based on origins. There are many factions in the coalition that ousted Assad, this creates extreme disharmony in the new elite. Possible violent purges to consolidate positions. Makes for a strong likelihood of rebellions or coups by those that get sidelined.
How did I get 400 followers without posting for half a year lol
November 23, 2024 at 2:51 PM
How did I get 400 followers without posting for half a year lol
Bing AI could never top this masterpiece
October 6, 2023 at 6:06 PM
Bing AI could never top this masterpiece
I was also quoted on Ukrainian state television Freedom News. Again, speaking about purges in dictatorships. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-t...
October 4, 2023 at 2:14 PM
I was also quoted on Ukrainian state television Freedom News. Again, speaking about purges in dictatorships. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gl-t...
Looking forward to ending up on the persona-non-grata list! My interview with Meduza on Prigozhin and purges in general meduza.io/feature/2023...
polisky dictatorsky civmilsky
polisky dictatorsky civmilsky
October 4, 2023 at 10:45 AM
Looking forward to ending up on the persona-non-grata list! My interview with Meduza on Prigozhin and purges in general meduza.io/feature/2023...
polisky dictatorsky civmilsky
polisky dictatorsky civmilsky
Any good leads on research grants focused on country scholarship in LATAM, specifically the Caribbean?
September 29, 2023 at 2:56 PM
Any good leads on research grants focused on country scholarship in LATAM, specifically the Caribbean?