Peter McCandless (@mycandlesp.bsky.social) reposted
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson calls for early Christmas recess to prevent release of the Epstein files.
Historian of 19th & 20th century Russia/Europe (mostly pre-1921); science fiction author & fan; lover of cats, dogs, chocolate, books, movies, television, baseball, soccer, ice hockey, cricket, Hawaii. Follow my Substack! https://thomasbeck.substack.com
4,406 followers 2,154 following 7,213 posts
view profile on Bluesky Peter McCandless (@mycandlesp.bsky.social) reposted
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson calls for early Christmas recess to prevent release of the Epstein files.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
anti-trans, too
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
“There is no such thing as ‘society.’”—Margaret Thatcher iow, my right to sneeze outweighs your right not to be sneezed on.
NY Times Pitchbot (@nytpitchbot.bsky.social) reposted
No one knows exactly what was on the Venezuelan boat that was struck by the US military, but the fact that the strike was okayed by the president’s son suggests that there was no cocaine aboard.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
When I hear "Judeo-Christian," I want to reach for my revolver.
The Moscow Times (@themoscowtimes.com) reposted
#OpEd Washington's new deportation policy spells certain doom for dissident Russian asylum seekers, with no opportunity to escape the authorities, writes Ilya Matveev.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
“to enchain syllables, and to lash the wind, are equally the undertakings of pride, unwilling to measure its desires by its strength.”—Samuel Johnson
Glonzo Journalism (@scriban.bsky.social) reposted
Vladimir Putin is a war criminal, and it disappoints me to think that he will never face his victims in a court, and they will never see even a small measure of the justice they deserve.
Jacqueline Antonovich (@jackiantonovich.bsky.social) reposted
"Pennsylvania is the latest state to adopt vaccine counsel from nongovernmental agencies in order to ensure access to COVID-19 shots this fall as health leaders with the Trump administration move to restrict or limit eligibility."
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
you go to war with the shrill psycho loony allies you have, not the shrill psycho loony allies you want.
The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History (@jich.bsky.social) reposted
Have a read of the recent book review by Chong Xu on 'History of the British Empire from Asian Perspectives' by Shigeru Akita, Springer, 2025: doi.org/10.1080/0308...
Missing The Point (@missingthept.bsky.social) reposted
If President Trump can simply murder suspected drug traffickers then Don Jr. better watch out.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
isn’t truth a defense against defamation? anyone who sues would be liable to being deposed, plus any evidence the women have would potentially come out.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
she doesn’t have to worry about being called woke by centrist Villagers.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
I bet that Venezuelan boat was smuggling the Epstein files.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
i bet they were smuggling the Epstein files.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
I recall those innocent days when we naively said the same thing about George W. Bush.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
he should lose his license and be drummed out of the medical profession.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
oh noes!
taylormade56.bsky.social (@taylormade56.bsky.social) reposted reply parent
Anna O. Law (@unlawfulentries.bsky.social) reposted
The series is called "History of the Present" in which scholars take a current event and provide the historical context for it. Please join us and register now.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Can states with sane governments require vaccine documentation before someone from Florida is permitted to enter?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
That was caused in conjunction with the failure of the Tsarist government to deal with Petrograd bread shortages. So far there's no equivalent because Putin has been careful to try to shield the major metropolises from the effects of his debacle.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
I'm surprised this kind of cynicism hasn't let to internal desertion.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
Cynicism set in a long time ago. I'm surprised there hasn't been more of this kind of "internal desertion."
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
briefly he was more popular than Lincoln. very briefly.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
without the eastern front, it’s hard to see Overlord succeeding—or, frankly, even being contemplated.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
sorry, missed that. usually i’m not so literal.
Anise K. Strong (@anisekstrong.bsky.social) reposted
If they last till the 23rd I can pretty much guarantee that the Texas National Guard has no idea of what Rosh Hashanah traffic is like on the North Side of Chicago.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
depends if they care on conquering an intact Taiwan or don't mind bombing the shit out of the renegades.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
won't help people who can't relocate--who will all too often be the poorest and most vulnerable. it's compassionate and not misguided, but it's also a bit of a surrender as if what DeSantis is doing is inevitable and unstoppable.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
He is sick to death of your Vulcan logic. 🖖
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
they domesticated us, you know
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
stress, bullets. on the other hand, they had access to western medicine and medical technology, as well as the best local medical talent. and the best Soviet resorts.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
“Dark Renaissance” by Stephen Greenblatt. “Clown Town” by Mick Herron “The Rose Field” by Philip Pullman all on hold at my local branch library waiting for them to be published.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
What a self-injury--before today, at least 99.99% of Americans had never heard of him. Now at least a few thousand more know what a bastard he is.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Cat TV
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
What do you think is the best "Doctor Who" episode, and why is it "City of Death"?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
They train us. And why not? They domesticated us.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Wish they'd tear into American dipshits like this. 99.99% of Americans have no idea who Farage is.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
"That's crazy talk!" /satire
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
to be fair, how many media folk know who "Shylock" was? After all, he's the subplot.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again. 😱
Zeke Emanuel, MD, PhD (@zekeemanuel.bsky.social) reposted
Because of Florida's decision to phase out childhood vaccine mandates, many will die of preventable diseases like measles, chickenpox, tetanus, and diphtheria. This is regressive, bringing us back to the early 1950s when parents had to worry that their kids might die from diseases like polio.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
He'd sell them.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Make Measles Great Again. 😱
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Vomit all over him?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
total self injury over here--99.99% of Americans never heard of him.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Operation Frequent Manhood II.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
If you mean, snobbish and old boy networky (when I was a grad student at Princeton, I noted many of the undergrads didn't want to go to Princeton--they wanted to have been to Princeton), sure. But expanded investment in excellent higher education, esp. opportunities--we need more not less.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
youtu.be/Ug_pv5-r1js?...
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Don't we have enough homegrown liars? why do we need to import any?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
"Property is theft."
Renata Keller (@renatakeller.bsky.social) reposted
Just got my author copy of The Fate of the Americas: The Cuban Missile Crisis and the Hemispheric Cold War!! It feels unreal to hold something in my hands that I've been working on for more than a decade 🗃️ #History
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
i can't eat that much.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
more of him to love
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
originally the militia was seen as an alternative to a standing federal army.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
🍿
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
99.99% of Americans have no idea who he is.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
Theme song for the Epstein victims.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
there is, however, a frequent subtext that it's okay for red states to be red but not for blue states to be blue. as if liberalism needs justification while conservatism just is. i misinterpreted your post as reflecting this bias. Sorry.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
you're assuming they bothered to get one. or that they went through the usual chain of command (pres-->secdef-->secnav-->etc).
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
sorry, misunderstood your post.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
He'll still lie, call the reporter nasty, and then lie again on social media.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
why's he even there???
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
as a lifelong Giants fan, I'm frankly astonished there are any Jets fans.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
too bad people will travel from Florida to the PNW.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
what's wrong with being "inherent to the left"?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again. 😱
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
"When all you've been used to is privilege, equality feels like oppression."
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
unfortunately. tragic, but there appears to be no other way.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
Where is Wonko the Sane in our hour of greatest need?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
where's Wonko the Sane in our hour of greatest need?
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
i remember having hair...i think
Nicholas Grossman (@nicholasgrossman.bsky.social) reposted
The counter to MAGA is unreserved advocacy of pluralism, rights, and mutual respect. Mealy-mouthed MAGA Lite, attempts to appease—or act like they have at least a partial point—misunderstands the movement, misreads the moment, and boosts instead of challenges a Trumpist approach to politics.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Putin: "Are you crazy? That place is a war zone!"
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Make Measles Great Again. 😱
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again. 😱
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Quiet, he's on a roll.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social)
Seems like we've already forgotten the Minnesota school shooting, along with the Minnesota political assassinations. Sorry, Minnesota, don't take it personally. This country forgets everything--like that guy in Memento.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again. 😱
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
esp since it's not like AC or Las Vegas is all that much of a paradise on earth as it is. typical rapacious extractive (colonial) mentality.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
As long as he continues hurts the people they desperately want to feel superior to, they won't care.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
MMGA: Making Measles Great Again. 😱
Anna O. Law (@unlawfulentries.bsky.social) reposted
Bad tuba and trombone players, you country needs you at the next peaceful public protest.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
He's not doing the denying. Republicans in Congress are denying it. The press is denying it.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Fine, as long as you realize that this will not result in any better legislative activity--the Democrats are already a kind of coalition party in themselves. PR will mean more parties, need to make overt coalitions. Countries that have this do not enjoy any better ideological cohesion than we do.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
I have no idea what any NY Giant thinks of vaccines (or anything else). Go Giants.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Your ideas are fascinating to me, and I would like to subscribe to your newsletter.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
the original "Invaders From Mars," plus the threat of nuclear war (I grew up in the 1950s and early 1960s). nothing really scares me that much now. too old to notice sh*t.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Proving he knows less than nothing about either slavery or vaccines.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Sure. Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, Maryland too.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
I will say it's relatively easy for him--independently wealthy, fairly safe political position. Same is true for Newsom, if perhaps less independently wealthy. Same is true, though, for many other Democrats (such as Hochul), without the same courage and leadership.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
The real monsters are always the humans.
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Of course. But imagine if it happened the way I muse...
SF Encyclopedia (@sfencyclopedia.bsky.social) reposted
Frederik Pohl sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/pohl_f... died on this day, so here are some of the covers to books originally published in the 1950s, though most are later editions (Artist: Wayne Pagram, David Pelham, Adrian Chesterman and Richard Powers). 'Edson McCann' a Pohl/Lester del Rey pseudonym:
Thomas Beck (@tomfodw.bsky.social) reply parent
Well, if Ukraine did, and it came out that the people voted to stay in an independent, integral Ukraine, it'd give Putin an out to end the war...