My "Making America's Wars" class today read @attackerman.bsky.social on Trump, & then examined "Salaam," a song written by a rapper named @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social. They discussed how the War on Terror certainly drove nativism, but also how it might now drive an alternative universalist politics.

From the Costs of War Project

On a more granular level, the activities which propelled world-magnates to extraordinary wealth and power were often eclectic, and involved various institutional forms and labor arrangements. Contra some expectations, free wage labor was not a prerequisite of innovation or extraordinary profits.

Historically, manufacturing was a minor sector for world-magnates and, even as it boomed in the 19th century, other sectors such as extraction grew as well. Meanwhile trade and finance—capital's most flexible forms—were major areas of extraordinary accumulation across time.

The geographical distribution of world-magnates over time follows some expectations, but with some interesting new insights. For example, we find the Low Countries were far less dominant in the 17th century than we expected.

I have my social theory students make memes. They never disappoint.

(Thanks due to @stschrader1.bsky.social, from whom I stole this assignment)

Is there a more apt manifestation of imperial decay than using emojis to plan the deaths of 53 people?

Every day a new synthesis of tragedy and farce.

Statement from @aaup.bsky.social president Todd Wolfson on Columbia's cowardice is spot on

www.aaup.org/news/cowardi...

Penny has really been enjoying @jeffschuhrke.bsky.social's *Blue Collar Empire* (and so have I!)

My Burawoy story: Last spring in Trinidad, while the rest of us were enjoying the beach, Michael spent the whole day under the umbrella on the phone, organizing past ASA presidents to support Sociologists for Palestine.

A dedicated, kind, generous man—and an intellectual giant—gone far too soon.

Excited to work with my colleagues at the Arrighi Center for Global Studies to organize an interdisciplinary conference on "Strikes and Social Conflicts in Hostile Environments" in DC this September.

Please join us! Deadline for abstract submission is March 1.

The theme, in short 👇

Thanks @stschrader1.bsky.social for visiting my 'War and Society' class this week to chat about global counterinsurgency, cops at war, and the police-military continuum.

(I forgot to take a picture, so instead here's one of Stuart's book, which you should all read!)

A packed house tonight for a conversation with @susanstryker.bsky.social at the UR Humanities Center!