Brian E. Klunk
@beklunk.bsky.social
University of the Pacific OGSIS. Studies just law theory and game-based learning often. Follows the Baltimore Orioles always. Will nerd on command.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
"Starting in the spring and then escalating over the summer, President Donald Trump sent federal troops or 'called up' National Guard units to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago...The Founders would be appalled."
www.thebulwark.com/p/founders-t...
www.thebulwark.com/p/founders-t...
The Founders Would Abhor Trump’s Domestic Deployments
And the notion that courts can’t review his National Guard decisions is baseless.
www.thebulwark.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:27 PM
"Starting in the spring and then escalating over the summer, President Donald Trump sent federal troops or 'called up' National Guard units to Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago...The Founders would be appalled."
www.thebulwark.com/p/founders-t...
www.thebulwark.com/p/founders-t...
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
In 1920s, Pius XI explained how he had approached negotiations with Mussolini: "When it comes to saving souls, we feel the courage to negotiate even with the devil." In later years, Pius XI understood the cost of those negotiations. Some US bishops seems to have learned nothing.
November 7, 2025 at 8:17 AM
In 1920s, Pius XI explained how he had approached negotiations with Mussolini: "When it comes to saving souls, we feel the courage to negotiate even with the devil." In later years, Pius XI understood the cost of those negotiations. Some US bishops seems to have learned nothing.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
Pope Leo weighs in on Chicago's ICE detention center where Communion has been denied to detainees. He said church leaders should be allowed to provide pastoral care to those inside who have often lived peacefully for years. www.ncronline.org/vatican/vati...
Pope Leo calls on US authorities to respect migrants' spiritual needs
Pope Leo XIV appealed for greater consideration for the "spiritual rights" of migrants in the United States, saying church ministers should be allowed to provide pastoral care to detained people.
www.ncronline.org
November 5, 2025 at 1:30 PM
Pope Leo weighs in on Chicago's ICE detention center where Communion has been denied to detainees. He said church leaders should be allowed to provide pastoral care to those inside who have often lived peacefully for years. www.ncronline.org/vatican/vati...
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
🧵New piece from me @goodauth.bsky.social on risks of striking Venezuela, focused on the added risk from Trump team of loyalists. Hint: it has to do with centralized role of Rubio, the nation's top diplomat, and the incompetence of advisers like SecDef Hegseth. 1/
goodauthority.org/news/trump-m...
goodauthority.org/news/trump-m...
Trump may strike Venezuela. His team makes that very risky.
Take a close look at who is advising the president on U.S. policy.
goodauthority.org
November 3, 2025 at 1:10 PM
🧵New piece from me @goodauth.bsky.social on risks of striking Venezuela, focused on the added risk from Trump team of loyalists. Hint: it has to do with centralized role of Rubio, the nation's top diplomat, and the incompetence of advisers like SecDef Hegseth. 1/
goodauthority.org/news/trump-m...
goodauthority.org/news/trump-m...
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
Among all the things wrong with this, maybe it is not in the U.S. national interest for the president to make dramatic foreign policy changes in response to a TV ad?
October 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Among all the things wrong with this, maybe it is not in the U.S. national interest for the president to make dramatic foreign policy changes in response to a TV ad?
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
New, from me: Trump is prioritizing paying the armed forces over other federal employees during a shutdown. He is trying to win over the rank and file even as he tells military leaders to target “the enemy within.” 🧵
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
The risks of letting Trump become the military paymaster
Trump will demand their loyalty in return
open.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
New, from me: Trump is prioritizing paying the armed forces over other federal employees during a shutdown. He is trying to win over the rank and file even as he tells military leaders to target “the enemy within.” 🧵
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
open.substack.com/pub/donmoyni...
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
How Trump silences his critics on.ft.com/4qoZJHn
So critical to remember how much opposition we never see or hear because people fear reprisal
So critical to remember how much opposition we never see or hear because people fear reprisal
October 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
How Trump silences his critics on.ft.com/4qoZJHn
So critical to remember how much opposition we never see or hear because people fear reprisal
So critical to remember how much opposition we never see or hear because people fear reprisal
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
Dr. William Foege, 89, who helped end smallpox in the 1970s, recently wrote: RFK Jr.’s “words can be as lethal as the smallpox virus.” And his actions are more lethal still. He’s waging war on America. That’s an impeachable offense. He must be removed from office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...
New C.D.C. Director Is Fired, White House Says
www.nytimes.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Dr. William Foege, 89, who helped end smallpox in the 1970s, recently wrote: RFK Jr.’s “words can be as lethal as the smallpox virus.” And his actions are more lethal still. He’s waging war on America. That’s an impeachable offense. He must be removed from office.
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/27/h...
The President Will Destroy You Now www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/o...
If Bob Strong is worried...
The levels of open corruption, the direct challenges to the rule of law, the assaults on institutions have been larger and more consequential than I expected. We are in a period of grave political peril.
If Bob Strong is worried...
The levels of open corruption, the direct challenges to the rule of law, the assaults on institutions have been larger and more consequential than I expected. We are in a period of grave political peril.
Opinion | The President Will Destroy You Now
www.nytimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The President Will Destroy You Now www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/o...
If Bob Strong is worried...
The levels of open corruption, the direct challenges to the rule of law, the assaults on institutions have been larger and more consequential than I expected. We are in a period of grave political peril.
If Bob Strong is worried...
The levels of open corruption, the direct challenges to the rule of law, the assaults on institutions have been larger and more consequential than I expected. We are in a period of grave political peril.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
We’re losing the War on Stupid.
Florida is poised to become the second state to ban the long-standing practice of adding fluoride to public water systems.
Many dentists and oral health experts worry that they’re in a losing battle against the anti-fluoride movement.
Many dentists and oral health experts worry that they’re in a losing battle against the anti-fluoride movement.
When the F-word is 'fluoride.' Florida may be next to ban the mineral from water supplies.
Florida is set to become the second state to ban community water fluoridation.
nbcnews.to
April 30, 2025 at 11:56 AM
We’re losing the War on Stupid.
It’s Independent Bookstore Day. Take a break from the Big A: refer.bookshop.org/by28p67n
Refer-A-Friend Friend
refer.bookshop.org
April 26, 2025 at 2:40 PM
It’s Independent Bookstore Day. Take a break from the Big A: refer.bookshop.org/by28p67n
Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways I’ll keep from my children.
Heard Maggie Smith on a John Dickerson podcast today, and she mentioned her poem “Good Bones,” which is always important, but rarely more than now.
Heard Maggie Smith on a John Dickerson podcast today, and she mentioned her poem “Good Bones,” which is always important, but rarely more than now.
April 21, 2025 at 1:20 AM
Life is short, and I’ve shortened mine in a thousand delicious, ill-advised ways, a thousand deliciously ill-advised ways I’ll keep from my children.
Heard Maggie Smith on a John Dickerson podcast today, and she mentioned her poem “Good Bones,” which is always important, but rarely more than now.
Heard Maggie Smith on a John Dickerson podcast today, and she mentioned her poem “Good Bones,” which is always important, but rarely more than now.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
We are way past impeachment time
April 14, 2025 at 11:17 PM
We are way past impeachment time
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
As we studied standard approaches to foreign-policy decision making last semester, I tried to prepare my students for this, but it sounded just too unhinged.
I get the desire to explain what the Trump administration is doing through rational political science, I really do. But such an approach misses a fundamental truth. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/there-are-...
There Are No Adults in the Room
A brief note on the inherent media problem with covering galactically stupid policies.
danieldrezner.substack.com
April 5, 2025 at 7:59 PM
As we studied standard approaches to foreign-policy decision making last semester, I tried to prepare my students for this, but it sounded just too unhinged.
But to be fair, he has committed an impeachable offense every day of his administration so far
Dems should propose impeachment for the illegal tariffs. It's not just a unilateral tax. It is globo-political damage that we will not recover from.
April 5, 2025 at 7:02 PM
But to be fair, he has committed an impeachable offense every day of his administration so far
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
While Americans obsess and fight over stupid shit (think “woke”), China is building the world of the future. Let that sink in.
April 5, 2025 at 2:49 PM
While Americans obsess and fight over stupid shit (think “woke”), China is building the world of the future. Let that sink in.
Trump Administration Live Updates: Security Officials Fired After President Meets With Laura Loomer www.nytimes.com/live/2025/04...
Because, of course, Laura Loomer knows all about managing the national security process.
Because, of course, Laura Loomer knows all about managing the national security process.
Trump Live Updates: National Security Officials Said to Be Fired at Laura Loomer's Urging
www.nytimes.com
April 3, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Trump Administration Live Updates: Security Officials Fired After President Meets With Laura Loomer www.nytimes.com/live/2025/04...
Because, of course, Laura Loomer knows all about managing the national security process.
Because, of course, Laura Loomer knows all about managing the national security process.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
Chapter 7 of EXIT FROM HEGEMONY (2020) is called "Exit Made in America: The Trump Presidency." Most of the chapter focuses on Trump foreign policy. The latter part looks at how post-Cold War GOP priorities have undermined the foundations of U.S. power. What we're seeing now is much, much worse. 👇
April 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Chapter 7 of EXIT FROM HEGEMONY (2020) is called "Exit Made in America: The Trump Presidency." Most of the chapter focuses on Trump foreign policy. The latter part looks at how post-Cold War GOP priorities have undermined the foundations of U.S. power. What we're seeing now is much, much worse. 👇
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
April 5 is a good day to let in some sunlight - National Day of Action -
handsoff2025.com
handsoff2025.com
Hands Off!
Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on and daring the world to stop them. On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the stre...
handsoff2025.com
March 30, 2025 at 3:50 AM
April 5 is a good day to let in some sunlight - National Day of Action -
handsoff2025.com
handsoff2025.com
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
This exciting resolution from Rutgers University Senate is exactly the kind of model I think higher ed needs: a mutual defense pact of, in this case, Big 10 schools. They call for member institutions to create a joint defense fund and make resources available to any member institution under attack.
March 30, 2025 at 2:47 PM
This exciting resolution from Rutgers University Senate is exactly the kind of model I think higher ed needs: a mutual defense pact of, in this case, Big 10 schools. They call for member institutions to create a joint defense fund and make resources available to any member institution under attack.
Reposted by Brian E. Klunk
What people in every part of higher education need to understand is that Republicans now want to do to universities what they’ve tried to do to labor unions: erase them from the institutional landscape. The question is how much you want to collaborate in your own destruction.
March 27, 2025 at 12:10 PM
What people in every part of higher education need to understand is that Republicans now want to do to universities what they’ve tried to do to labor unions: erase them from the institutional landscape. The question is how much you want to collaborate in your own destruction.