Golly jeepers, I sure hope nothing forces me to radically overhaul my Drug War class!

Carrie Lee gives a great rebuttal to that war on the rocks piece.

Dear Civil-Military Crises: Stop it. Love, Andrew

We had been hoping that the US military would not obey illegal orders. The boat strikes have now taught us that was wishful thinking. Here's a great post explaining where we are and how we got here www.latimes.com/opinion/stor... #CivMilSky

(Miami Herald) - The Trump Administration has made the decision to attack military installations inside Venezuela and the strikes could come at any moment, sources with knowledge of the situation told the Miami Herald .. @miamiherald.com www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-...

I'd love to read some papers on Keiko Fujimori. Two things to me are very interesting about her support and role in Peruvian politics: (1) she seems to have successfully inherited the charismatic authority of her father and (2) every time she's been the runner up, she's lost by *very* small margins.

But you see, in my head this paper is already done. Therefore, I *can* procrastinate.

And now, a summary of my experience at #IUS2025, #civmilsky.

Hey, you! Do you worry about executive abuse of military authority, but need a framework to analyze it? Well stop *worrying.* My new article on "executive shirking" is out from Perspectives on Politics. Thanks to everyone who gave me feedback on this one! #civmilbluesky

NOW OUT ON FIRSTVIEW!! The Responsibility to Be Reasonable: Conceptualizing #Executive #Shirking in #Civil–#Military #Relations By @drprofivey.bsky.social doi.org/10.1017/S153...

Just got back to the states and *immediately* found my research was relevant.

I arrived in Chile at 4:15am to start fieldwork and got an acceptance from a top poli sci journal! Hoping that means a good omen.

Academic literature recommendations from kindly civ-mil folk: anything focusing on the relationship between militaries and legislatures.

The absolute drama of the Bolsonaro trial is why I am desperately aiming for Portuguese fluency.

Are you there, Lord? It's me, Andrew. Please don't let their be another US civ-mil crisis before the reviewers get back to me on my minor R&R.

And thus, a major R&R became a minor R&R. I'm going to struggle to make time for the revisions, but this is going to be such a strong paper.

Man, really feels bad to have relevant research right now.

My new goal is Brazilian Portuguese fluency. I just finished pronunciation lessons via the podcast "Ta Falado." Does anyone have any podcast/musician recommendations to increase exposure? I'm a Sinatra kinda guy, if that helps.

I am now accepting craft beer recommendations for Oslo, Norway.

After a *really* intense month and a half of working on this R&R, it's going back out. People of earth, please lend my little conceptual piece your energy.

How it feels after three rounds of feedback, students turn in phenomenal papers and give great presentations.

How it feels adding a whole bunch of cites in two paragraphs to your RR.

Me: Why am I so overwhelmed with work? Me: ...right. That major *non-academic* life upgrade I did.

I am looking for English-language, undergraduate readings on Brazil's PCC. I am teaching a Drug War class this semester, and students are *way* more fascinated with the PCC than the CV. Open to journalism and podcasts too!

Some things to remember as the far right looks to Nayib Bukele as a model: The statistics the regime releases about crime reduction are unreliable at best. El Salvador just took out a huge IMF loan. Last time I tweeted about Bukele, I got a *lot* of backlash from strangers. Lets see about now.

Just got a very useful R&R, which is always great news! When reviewers have very serious concerns but also provide concrete recommendations to improve a paper, that's phenomenal. Now, to panic because they want it soon and I am getting le married this month. *ulp.*

I suspect this will be the public’s main takeaway from the firing of Brown and Franchetti

CivMilSky what did I miss? saideman.blogspot.com/2025/02/why-...

Really disappointed History is still happening despite the best efforts of Francis Fukuyama.

In response to the possibility of declaring Mexico's drug cartels "terrorist organizations," President Sheinbaum announces her government is looking to reform National Security Law to bolster Mexican sovereignty. heraldodemexico.com.mx/nacional/202...

Today's lecture is about the Drug War in the Mexican Revolution. I *love* talking about the Mexican revolution, and welcome any podcast/audiobook recommendations on the subject. I am especially obsessed with Zapata.

Student Paper: "Hungary's democratic shit." Me *adjusts glasses* Me: I believe you meant democratic "shift." However, this typo is hilarious and I am giving it two extra points on your paper.

Man, nothing is quite as relaxing as leaving the stress of Donald Trump to research...*checks notes* The regime of Alberto Fujimori... ****

Pictured: Me, at 33 years old, preparing to answer student questions about *another* executive order I just learned about.

(2/2) Unfortunately, as violence seems to be increasing in Mexico, a Trump-Sheinbaum alignment on *increasing* the Mexican military's portfolio could be pretty disastrous not because the military is villainous, but because it's not the greatest administrator (let alone police force).

(1/2) Just another warning about what appears to be an emerging (but unsurprising) Sheinbaum-Trump axis: the Trump administration will very likely give *no* incentives to reform policing in Mexico, providing even few reasons for Sheinbaum to undertake significant civil-military relations reform.

Just a note about the compromise between Claudia Sheinbaum and Donald Trump: Sheinbaum gave Trump something very easily, something AMLO had given him before: militarization of immigration policy in Mexico. If past is prologue, expect human rights abuses.

Seeing all of Trump's "we need to deport criminals" rhetoric and I'm just like...is he going to stop *extradition?*

Pictured: @cogitoergodoom.bsky.social and I revive the oldest and most contentious debate from grad school: constructivism vs. realism!

My heart hurts for Colombia. Negotiating with the ELN was always going to be difficult, not because of its de-centralized structure but the fact that there's quite simply a *lot* of money to be made in drug trafficking and Venezuela will protect that trade until Maduro is gone.

Just remember everyone, Trump's populist style of "governing" incentivizes zero-sum competition between secretaries, infighting and leaks to the press, and attention-seeking behavior that ultimately undermines any good faith between Trump and his cabinet.

Dear civmil blusky: Dearing my comprehensive exams, I named the following hummingbirds: Samuel Hummington Eric Nordwinger S.E. Flier You are welcome.

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be grade beggers.

If I had a nickel for every Argentine president with an Italian passport, I'd have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but weird it happened twice.

This semester I made my comparative politics class focus on what I called "the three Ds:" Development, Democracy and Dictatorship. Specifically, there was a lot of focus on democratic backsliding. Students ended up putting Nayib Bukele on trial. One class acquitted him and the other was a hung jury.

Funding attained for Santiago fieldwork. I am now accepting recommendations for food, beer, and scholarly histories of the Carabineros.

Trump: DC and Puerto Rico can't be states, because Democrats would have four new Senators. Also Trump: *Canada tho...*

Never has a tshirt so summed up the totality of my thought and being.

"South Korean President Declares Martial Law" Me: What? "South Korean Parliament Declares Martial Law Invalid." Me: WHAT!? "South Korean troops withdraw from parliament." Me: THIS ALL HAPPENED IN THREE HOURS!?