Christopher Fariss
@cjfariss.bsky.social
Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan. cjfariss.com
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Proud to publish this piece from my former student, who writes that Russia's lawfare in the European Court of Human Rights is "transforming [it] into an unwitting accomplice in one of the most sophisticated disinformation operations of the modern era.”
americansunlight.substack.com/p/russias-la...
americansunlight.substack.com/p/russias-la...
Russia’s Lawfare Playbook: How the Kremlin Weaponized Human Rights Courts to Launder Disinformation
When the Kremlin wants to legitimize a lie, it doesn’t just hold a press conference – it files a lawsuit.
americansunlight.substack.com
October 31, 2025 at 12:53 PM
Proud to publish this piece from my former student, who writes that Russia's lawfare in the European Court of Human Rights is "transforming [it] into an unwitting accomplice in one of the most sophisticated disinformation operations of the modern era.”
americansunlight.substack.com/p/russias-la...
americansunlight.substack.com/p/russias-la...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-to-peer evaluation of a country's rights record. All 193 UN member states are expected to participate, and even states like Russia and China do.
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
US withdraws from key UN human rights report, draws criticism from rights advocates
The United States will not participate in a U.N. review of its human rights record, officials said, a move that rights advocates called a worrying retreat from Washington's global engagement on rights and justice issues.
www.reuters.com
August 28, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is a peer-to-peer evaluation of a country's rights record. All 193 UN member states are expected to participate, and even states like Russia and China do.
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Today, the US took the unprecedented step of withdrawing from the UPR www.reuters.com/world/europe...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
May infamy follow him for the rest of his days. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Rubio recasts long-held beliefs with cuts to U.S. human rights reports
The State Department’s annual human rights reports arrive a half-year late with significant cuts and little fanfare from America’s top diplomat.
www.washingtonpost.com
August 13, 2025 at 1:19 PM
May infamy follow him for the rest of his days. www.washingtonpost.com/national-sec...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
As of today, Elon Musk is thought to be responsible for the death of 300,000 adults and kids due to the illegal closure of USAID (source: www.impactcounter.com/dashboard?vi...)
That's a 103 deaths per hour, each day. And it will get worse.
His legacy is one of death, destruction, and failure.
That's a 103 deaths per hour, each day. And it will get worse.
His legacy is one of death, destruction, and failure.
May 30, 2025 at 1:57 AM
As of today, Elon Musk is thought to be responsible for the death of 300,000 adults and kids due to the illegal closure of USAID (source: www.impactcounter.com/dashboard?vi...)
That's a 103 deaths per hour, each day. And it will get worse.
His legacy is one of death, destruction, and failure.
That's a 103 deaths per hour, each day. And it will get worse.
His legacy is one of death, destruction, and failure.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
On Friday, my son stayed home from school because he had a sore throat and wasn’t feeling well. He went with my husband to his office for the morning while I handled our daughter. When he came back at lunch, he was not interested in eating, saying his throat hurt too much. 1/n
May 5, 2025 at 7:11 AM
On Friday, my son stayed home from school because he had a sore throat and wasn’t feeling well. He went with my husband to his office for the morning while I handled our daughter. When he came back at lunch, he was not interested in eating, saying his throat hurt too much. 1/n
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
If we know where they were sent, but it isn’t to detention: exile.
If we know where they are & it’s in detention: extraordinary rendition.
If we don’t know where they are, but we know someone’s holding them: kidnapping.
Otherwise, if we don’t know where they are: disappearance.
If we know where they are & it’s in detention: extraordinary rendition.
If we don’t know where they are, but we know someone’s holding them: kidnapping.
Otherwise, if we don’t know where they are: disappearance.
Given the literal definition of deportation is removing a foreigner or noncitizen from the country, we - journalists, media orgs - should probably all stop referring to the ‘deportation’ of a 2 year old US citizen. It’s NOT a deportation.
I’m not sure what it is. A kidnapping?
I’m not sure what it is. A kidnapping?
April 27, 2025 at 12:56 PM
If we know where they were sent, but it isn’t to detention: exile.
If we know where they are & it’s in detention: extraordinary rendition.
If we don’t know where they are, but we know someone’s holding them: kidnapping.
Otherwise, if we don’t know where they are: disappearance.
If we know where they are & it’s in detention: extraordinary rendition.
If we don’t know where they are, but we know someone’s holding them: kidnapping.
Otherwise, if we don’t know where they are: disappearance.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Heparin is just like an iPhone, except it's a bit more compact and you use it to prevent blood clots instead.
Your Michigan Medicine colleagues would appreciate if you relay the message that a basic medicine we use 1000x per day in the hospital, heparin, is also dependent on China, and people will die without it
April 12, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Heparin is just like an iPhone, except it's a bit more compact and you use it to prevent blood clots instead.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
The only way forward, that I can see, requires both courage and collective action. If we’re not going to fight for our students and our scholarship, then what the hell are we doing anyway?
University presidents, the time is now! Unshackle the general counsel's office! File all the lawsuits! Release the faculty upon the op-ed sections! Write to your alumni, parents, and donors! You have nothing to lose but a tiny percentage of your enormous endowments... www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/u...
Trump Officials Freeze $1 Billion for Cornell and $790 Million for Northwestern
The funding pause amid civil rights investigations into both universities sharply escalates the Trump administration’s campaign against elite colleges.
www.nytimes.com
April 9, 2025 at 1:02 AM
The only way forward, that I can see, requires both courage and collective action. If we’re not going to fight for our students and our scholarship, then what the hell are we doing anyway?
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
A good reminder to follow everything Eunji Kim does. She is so smart and just has an intuitive understanding of how people engage with entertainment media. She’s also hilarious. oh and her new book is coming out in a month:
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
March 26, 2025 at 4:29 PM
A good reminder to follow everything Eunji Kim does. She is so smart and just has an intuitive understanding of how people engage with entertainment media. She’s also hilarious. oh and her new book is coming out in a month:
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
As someone educated outside the elite doctoral programs, EITM was huge for me.
If you want to be good enough at finding stuff out (i.e., "research") to be paid to do it, there's no substitute for being around the best of the best and trying to learn from them.
If you want to be good enough at finding stuff out (i.e., "research") to be paid to do it, there's no substitute for being around the best of the best and trying to learn from them.
Applications for the 2025 EITM Summer Institute are now open! Program dates: Aug 4-15. Program location: University of Michigan. Deadline: April 15. eitminstitute.org/institute/20...
2025 – Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) Institute
eitminstitute.org
April 1, 2025 at 7:33 PM
As someone educated outside the elite doctoral programs, EITM was huge for me.
If you want to be good enough at finding stuff out (i.e., "research") to be paid to do it, there's no substitute for being around the best of the best and trying to learn from them.
If you want to be good enough at finding stuff out (i.e., "research") to be paid to do it, there's no substitute for being around the best of the best and trying to learn from them.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
This year we will be in Michigan in August. Apply if you are midway through your PhD program in the social sciences to learn from the best in the discipline how theory and empirical methods come together!
Applications for the 2025 EITM Summer Institute are now open! Program dates: Aug 4-15. Program location: University of Michigan. Deadline: April 15. eitminstitute.org/institute/20...
2025 – Empirical Implications of Theoretical Models (EITM) Institute
eitminstitute.org
April 1, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This year we will be in Michigan in August. Apply if you are midway through your PhD program in the social sciences to learn from the best in the discipline how theory and empirical methods come together!
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
This segment from @maryannefranks.bsky.social is an incredibly tight argument that captures the breadth of the Trump assault on free speech perfectly and in less than a minute.
Spread it far and wide.
Spread it far and wide.
WOW. Watch a constitutional law expert completely DEBUNK Republicans’ censorship crusade, while articulating exactly how Donald Trump is threatening freedom of speech. 🔥
March 26, 2025 at 12:25 AM
This segment from @maryannefranks.bsky.social is an incredibly tight argument that captures the breadth of the Trump assault on free speech perfectly and in less than a minute.
Spread it far and wide.
Spread it far and wide.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
I knew Dan Drezner when his headings were like "Sanctions work somewhat better than you think."
I guess I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore. Fuck decorum. danieldrezner.substack.com/p/american-f...
American Foreign Policy Is Being Run by the Dumbest Motherfuckers Alive
The fuckwittery on display right now by Trump's foreign policy team boggles the mind.
danieldrezner.substack.com
March 25, 2025 at 1:29 PM
I knew Dan Drezner when his headings were like "Sanctions work somewhat better than you think."
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
A competent Democratic Party would have this clip all over the airwaves and social media inside of 24 hours.
Trump’s commerce secretary Howard Lutnick says if Social Security skipped a check, his mother-in-law wouldn’t complain—and if you would, it indicates you are probably a fraudster. Insane.
March 21, 2025 at 7:36 PM
A competent Democratic Party would have this clip all over the airwaves and social media inside of 24 hours.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
I'll be moderating a panel on Birth Right Citizenship at @umfordschool.bsky.social (and try to bring a comparative perspective). The panel includes legal scholars and historians (see below), join us on FRIDAY March 28th!
fordschool.umich.edu/event/2025/c...
fordschool.umich.edu/event/2025/c...
Current and Historical Challenges to Birthright Citizenship
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to allow restrictions on birthright citizenship to partly take effect, even as the initial executive order is blocked nationwide by three federal a...
fordschool.umich.edu
March 21, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I'll be moderating a panel on Birth Right Citizenship at @umfordschool.bsky.social (and try to bring a comparative perspective). The panel includes legal scholars and historians (see below), join us on FRIDAY March 28th!
fordschool.umich.edu/event/2025/c...
fordschool.umich.edu/event/2025/c...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
The people Attorney General Bondi is calling “terrorists” have had no trial and no chance to defend themselves. We do not know who they are. Ignoring the Constitution does not make us safe. It puts us all in peril.
March 17, 2025 at 1:34 AM
The people Attorney General Bondi is calling “terrorists” have had no trial and no chance to defend themselves. We do not know who they are. Ignoring the Constitution does not make us safe. It puts us all in peril.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Great way to advertise the book 👍🏼 I didn't know about it but now I do and immediately bought the book.
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
Ex-Facebook Employee Is Blocked From Promoting Tell-All Memoir
Meta has forcefully denied the allegations in a new memoir, “Careless People.” Now, an arbitrator has prohibited the author from distributing it.
www.vanityfair.com
March 15, 2025 at 11:38 PM
Great way to advertise the book 👍🏼 I didn't know about it but now I do and immediately bought the book.
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
www.vanityfair.com/news/story/m...
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
They will not stop until Americans stand up to them. Today, the Senate Democrats failed that test. Tomorrow, I hope that the rest of us come together to defend our values and principles.
President Trump on Friday opened a third attack against a private law firm, restricting the business activities of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison just days after a federal judge ruled such measures appeared to violate the Constitution.
Trump Expands Attacks on Law Firms, Singling Out Paul, Weiss
Experts have warned that the president’s efforts threaten the ability of lawyers to do their jobs and private citizens to obtain legal counsel.
www.nytimes.com
March 15, 2025 at 1:31 AM
They will not stop until Americans stand up to them. Today, the Senate Democrats failed that test. Tomorrow, I hope that the rest of us come together to defend our values and principles.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
vote your vote, but don't lie to constituents. have some fucking dignity.
March 14, 2025 at 8:52 PM
vote your vote, but don't lie to constituents. have some fucking dignity.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
...topics such as the Civil War..."???
It literally became a national cemetery *because of the Civil War.
We're not a serious country. Or, more accurately, this isn't a serious government
It literally became a national cemetery *because of the Civil War.
We're not a serious country. Or, more accurately, this isn't a serious government
Arlington National Cemetery has scrubbed information about prominent Black, Hispanic and female service members and topics such as the Civil War from its website, part of an effort across the Defense Department to remove all references to diversity, equity and inclusion from its online presence.
Arlington Cemetery website scrubs links about Black and female veterans
Pentagon leaders have ordered that their websites and social media pages remove articles and images that “promote” DEI.
www.washingtonpost.com
March 14, 2025 at 7:45 PM
...topics such as the Civil War..."???
It literally became a national cemetery *because of the Civil War.
We're not a serious country. Or, more accurately, this isn't a serious government
It literally became a national cemetery *because of the Civil War.
We're not a serious country. Or, more accurately, this isn't a serious government
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Trump and Republicans set this up as an unprecedented power grab so they can slash and burn government services on their terms.
I’m a firm NO — on cloture and final passage — on this ‘CR’
I’m a firm NO — on cloture and final passage — on this ‘CR’
March 13, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Trump and Republicans set this up as an unprecedented power grab so they can slash and burn government services on their terms.
I’m a firm NO — on cloture and final passage — on this ‘CR’
I’m a firm NO — on cloture and final passage — on this ‘CR’
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Again, if university presidents/leaders want to shape public opinion & the politics of the moment, rather than idly sitting by why Trump destroys free speech & dismantles the entire business model of 🇺🇸 higher education, here is the opportunity to do that. Loudly. Collectively. Publicly. Immediately.
I'm just a small-town professor. I'll never be a provost or chancellor. But here's some free advice: we're about to hold the most watched college sports event in 🇺🇸. Every college president should be all over TV, at every game, explaining why the March Madness of federal budget cuts is a huge crisis.
👇🎯 The public isn't going to understand this, unless the presidents of R1 universities around the country <loudly> & <collectively> get out into the public square & start explaining this & calling out the existential threat to the entire 🇺🇸 university system. The silence is deafening right now.
March 10, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Again, if university presidents/leaders want to shape public opinion & the politics of the moment, rather than idly sitting by why Trump destroys free speech & dismantles the entire business model of 🇺🇸 higher education, here is the opportunity to do that. Loudly. Collectively. Publicly. Immediately.
Reposted by Christopher Fariss
Last week, I presented at my final Conflict & Change PhD Workshop @uclspp.bsky.social. Once again, ECRs from around the world shared their projects. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been involved as both an organizer and a presenter from the beginning of my PhD! Hope to come back someday. 🙂
March 3, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Last week, I presented at my final Conflict & Change PhD Workshop @uclspp.bsky.social. Once again, ECRs from around the world shared their projects. I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been involved as both an organizer and a presenter from the beginning of my PhD! Hope to come back someday. 🙂