ali
@zoonpolitikon.bsky.social
Trainer of humanitarian analysts. Into world politics (IR PhD). Social science groupie. Runs a lot, cycles not enough. Board game enthusiast. Rabbit hole aficionado. Owned by two cats. Posts mainly in English & Snark, sometimes in German and French. 🖖🏽
Pinned
ali
@zoonpolitikon.bsky.social
· Nov 18
Welcome new followers! You can expect from me an eclectic mix of politics, global affairs, science (social and the other kind) and obscure pop culture references. If I have any real specific expertise it is in international trade and humanitarian analysis. For everything else, check my bio.
"Take Him Seriously, but Not Literally" they said. Turns out, his words are still horrifying.
HAHAHA! HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS ARE FUNNY! DEHUMANIZING IS FUN! HAHA! WE'RE HAVING FUN!
Trump: "Instead of pardons, some of my more enthusiastic staffers were already drafting the paperwork to ship Gobble and Waddle straight to the Terrorist Confinement Center in El Salvador."
November 25, 2025 at 6:43 PM
"Take Him Seriously, but Not Literally" they said. Turns out, his words are still horrifying.
"Non-traditional policy coordination"? No plan, no strategy, no process. A bunch of amateurs cosplaying high-level diplomacy. In a sane world they would have been laughed out the room a long time ago. It's not "non-traditional policy coordination." It's a clown show. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Rubio changes the tack of Trump’s Ukraine negotiations after week of chaos
The administration’s shifting messaging on Ukraine underscores Trump’s preference for non-traditional policy coordination
www.politico.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:26 AM
"Non-traditional policy coordination"? No plan, no strategy, no process. A bunch of amateurs cosplaying high-level diplomacy. In a sane world they would have been laughed out the room a long time ago. It's not "non-traditional policy coordination." It's a clown show. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Reposted by ali
In honour of its proponents, I suggest that the Dmitriev-Witkoff proposal should henceforth be called the Dim-Wit Plan
November 23, 2025 at 2:37 PM
In honour of its proponents, I suggest that the Dmitriev-Witkoff proposal should henceforth be called the Dim-Wit Plan
Reposted by ali
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Bye bye, “DOGE”.
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
It no longer exists as a “centralized entity”, according to the Office of Personnel Management.
@reuters.com
www.reuters.com/world/us/dog...
November 23, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Difficult to overstate how profound a failure DOGE was. Spending in FY2025 was not only than in FY2024 – but higher than it was projected to be when Trump first took office.*
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
The little bit of spending DOGE cut has already killed hundreds of thousands and will eventually lead to millions of deaths.
Reposted by ali
Republican Senator Mike Rounds said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a call to senators, confirmed the so-called 28-point “peace plan” was actually a Russian wishlist and is “not the administration’s position”. Nor is there any threat to cut off weapons or intelligence to Ukraine.
November 22, 2025 at 11:12 PM
Republican Senator Mike Rounds said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a call to senators, confirmed the so-called 28-point “peace plan” was actually a Russian wishlist and is “not the administration’s position”. Nor is there any threat to cut off weapons or intelligence to Ukraine.
Things you can buy for a Rolex watch and an engraved gold bar at the duty free shop in the US these days. www.bbc.com/news/article...
November 14, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Things you can buy for a Rolex watch and an engraved gold bar at the duty free shop in the US these days. www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by ali
Frankenstein is a metaphor for the dangers of reanimating corpses with electricity
November 13, 2025 at 4:11 AM
Frankenstein is a metaphor for the dangers of reanimating corpses with electricity
Reposted by ali
Again, I know Vance is a convert and who knows what the customs of the savage Scots-Irish are but someone needs to explain to him that it’s unusual for the Bishop of Rome to criticize your personal behavior this frequently
BREAKING: At Pope Leo XIV’s urging, U.S. Catholic bishops just delivered the strongest rebuke of a sitting president in Church history — condemning Trump-Vance raids as “inhumane” and “dehumanizing” in a 216–5 vote.
NEW: At Pope Leo’s Urging, Bishops Issue Historic Rebuke of Trump’s Raids
Nearly all U.S. Catholic bishops united in Baltimore to denounce the Trump administration’s “inhumane” deportation campaign — a near-unanimous, unprecedented moral stand against a sitting president.
www.thelettersfromleo.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:15 AM
Again, I know Vance is a convert and who knows what the customs of the savage Scots-Irish are but someone needs to explain to him that it’s unusual for the Bishop of Rome to criticize your personal behavior this frequently
Reposted by ali
No no no begs every archivist. You are never going to be able to find anything. Please don’t start using emojis in file names. Who asked for this? What fresh hell is next?
November 12, 2025 at 10:38 AM
No no no begs every archivist. You are never going to be able to find anything. Please don’t start using emojis in file names. Who asked for this? What fresh hell is next?
Reposted by ali
Have (Western) Europe's radical right-wingers finally found religion ⛪? Political Psychology says no #PolRel
Are Christians in Western Europe more likely to be Islamophobic than other citizens?
New research finds no link between personal Christian beliefs and Islamophobia, but a close association with nativism/authoritarianism.
✍️ @kai-arzheimer.com @powimz.bsky.social
🔗 blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...
New research finds no link between personal Christian beliefs and Islamophobia, but a close association with nativism/authoritarianism.
✍️ @kai-arzheimer.com @powimz.bsky.social
🔗 blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2...
Islamophobia in Western Europe is not driven by religiosity
Are Christians more likely to be Islamophobic than other citizens in Europe? New research finds European Islamophobia has no link to a person’s religiosity.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Have (Western) Europe's radical right-wingers finally found religion ⛪? Political Psychology says no #PolRel
Reposted by ali
God creating Adam:
My guess is “we had extra scraps of clay” or “fuck you we do what we want”
November 7, 2025 at 3:12 PM
God creating Adam:
Reposted by ali
easy to miss in the punditry about Musk's pay package:
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
![graphic: Tesla proposed a $1 trillion pay package with 12 tranches [now passed by shareholders] and for Musk to get the first tranche, Tesla must achieve:
* $2 trillion in market capitalization PLUS any one of
* $50 billion Ebitda (a measure of earnings)
* 20 million cars delivered
* 1 million robots sold
* 1 million robotaxis in operation
* 10 million Full Self Driving subscriptions](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:fwks525g7gw5wc7ul2wg4wj5/bafkreie4ria67kwkysdoelkwmh2ol4kphfem6umc4oakwtfhvt25jxskcm@jpeg)
November 7, 2025 at 1:41 PM
easy to miss in the punditry about Musk's pay package:
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
he only becomes a trillionaire if he meets *a bunch* of milestones
payouts begin at $2 trillion market cap + other conditions
here's a handy graphic
www.wsj.com/business/aut...
# of graphs with completely made up numbers in the year 2050:
0 📉
+2% ➖
10^100 📈
0 📉
+2% ➖
10^100 📈
AI could end scarcity, end humanity - or boost trend growth by 0.2 percentage points
November 7, 2025 at 2:43 PM
# of graphs with completely made up numbers in the year 2050:
0 📉
+2% ➖
10^100 📈
0 📉
+2% ➖
10^100 📈
Stardate 14254.7. Bridge of the USS NYT Opinion.
Dr. Leonard McCoy is hunched over the body of our good friend Irony.
He lifts his head and looks at his captain.
"She's dead, Jim."
Dr. Leonard McCoy is hunched over the body of our good friend Irony.
He lifts his head and looks at his captain.
"She's dead, Jim."
November 6, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Stardate 14254.7. Bridge of the USS NYT Opinion.
Dr. Leonard McCoy is hunched over the body of our good friend Irony.
He lifts his head and looks at his captain.
"She's dead, Jim."
Dr. Leonard McCoy is hunched over the body of our good friend Irony.
He lifts his head and looks at his captain.
"She's dead, Jim."
Reposted by ali
This is your periodical reminder that the projected warming due to climate change practically always refers to the year 2100. The full temperature increase will likely be higher.
At #COP30, people will claim something like we avoided a truly apocalyptic amount of warming. This is probably not true.
At #COP30, people will claim something like we avoided a truly apocalyptic amount of warming. This is probably not true.
November 6, 2025 at 11:50 AM
This is your periodical reminder that the projected warming due to climate change practically always refers to the year 2100. The full temperature increase will likely be higher.
At #COP30, people will claim something like we avoided a truly apocalyptic amount of warming. This is probably not true.
At #COP30, people will claim something like we avoided a truly apocalyptic amount of warming. This is probably not true.
Reposted by ali
Some people are very excited about the new "economic and national security" provisions in Trump's trade deals, but I'm more skeptical. Here's a blog post where I push back a bit.
Economic and National Security Provisions in U.S. Trade Agreements
Economic and National Security Provisions in U.S. Trade Agreements
A few weeks ago, I wrote a post cautioning everyone to "Beware the 'Securitization' of Trade Policy." So far, however, it looks like my post has been a big failure, as many people seem to be throwing caution to the wind, and instead of being wary
dlvr.it
November 3, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Some people are very excited about the new "economic and national security" provisions in Trump's trade deals, but I'm more skeptical. Here's a blog post where I push back a bit.
This is like a birdwatching guide. Only in the US the birds watch you now.
Every so often you run across yet another reminder of how shameful the story of this era is going to be in the history books someday. On so many levels, including the dystopian cheery tone of this NYT caption…
October 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
This is like a birdwatching guide. Only in the US the birds watch you now.
Headache? CO₂ 🤦
October 23, 2025 at 3:19 PM
Headache? CO₂ 🤦
Being held responsible is the price you pay when you control all three branches of the US government.
...
Wait? Could hit whom hard?
...
Wait? Could hit whom hard?
The shutdown cliff that could hit Dems hard: SNAP, which helps feed more than 40 million people, will start to run out of funds Nov. 1.
The shutdown cliff that could hit Democrats hard
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which helps feed more than 40 million people, will start to run out of funds Nov. 1.
www.politico.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Being held responsible is the price you pay when you control all three branches of the US government.
...
Wait? Could hit whom hard?
...
Wait? Could hit whom hard?
Reposted by ali
Updating my LEGO White House
October 23, 2025 at 2:51 AM
Updating my LEGO White House
Reposted by ali
This is a tremendous piece of work. Very satisfying neal.fun/space-elevat...
Space Elevator
Take a trip to space!
neal.fun
October 20, 2025 at 10:39 AM
This is a tremendous piece of work. Very satisfying neal.fun/space-elevat...
Reposted by ali
Reposted by ali
The other day a student asked me about the prevalence of insider trading in prediction markets. I now have an answer.
October 10, 2025 at 11:19 AM
The other day a student asked me about the prevalence of insider trading in prediction markets. I now have an answer.
Reposted by ali
Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.
www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...
www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...
October 10, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Huh. Gonna be an awkward day for Secretary of State-National Security Advisor-Acting Archivist Marco Rubio.
www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...
www.rickscott.senate.gov/services/fil...