Look what I found. Jealous, much?

And as it happens, my book — The United States and the Taliban before and after 9/11– is on sale today. It’s still a bit pricey, but well within reason and worth picking up if you’re interested in the topic. link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

It was a pleasure to talk to Straight Arrow News for this article!

At #UNGA80 China decries "might makes right mentality," as it assists Russia's imperial ambitions.

Well, this Netanyahu speech will be the 73rd I've watched at #UNGA80. I'm mostly been holding my commentary so that I can make some macro-observations, but I may lightly live-sky this one.

I’m on the quiet car on Amtrak and the woman next to me is on her fourth call and the conductors seem nonplussed and the other passengers are looking at each other. I’ll do my part by posting anything she says of interest verbatim. And since she’s on FT now, maybe I’ll snap a pick.

Trump spoke at length about UN teleprompters not working; and now the PGA says “as we are receiving inquiries, I want to reassure you— The teleprompters are working perfectly.”#UNGA80

Trump claims that the “world was prosperous and at peace” until Biden took over. This oughtta be good. #unga80

#UNGA80 high level week is upon us and it’s time to hit the reception circuit. Hopefully I’ll see some of you around!

So highly paid tech people will be offered large paycuts; and professors will have their visas revoked, which not only will impact the profs and their families, but will leave countless (American, if that matters) students high and dry.

If I was such a pathetic coward that I needed six heavily armed men to brutalize a middle-aged woman, I’d probably cover my face too.

A woman protesting outside the ICE facility in Broadview, Illinois, was brutally assaulted by goons who used mace and sting balls on her.

Absolutely ridiculous counter-productive nonsense— And I don’t say that lightly (see my bio), nor do I shed tears for any Hamas dead, quite the contrary, but a terrible terrible counterproductive decision.

I’m still a little confused that the POTUS who keeps hyping his “peacemaking” ability, and lying about single-handedly ending six (or whatever number) wars, is renaming the DOD the DOW. Everything is just so f-ing dumb.

Hey @amtrak.com. How about some sort of compensation for those of us in Car 2 on the Acela to NYC. Even if it’s just free bottled water. We have no AC and it is basically hell on Earth. It’s Acela so you know who is in the car and have all our info.

Trump apparently thinks Russia gets to dictate the foreign policy of its neighbors.

Me: OK, I’ll get the new Taylor Swift on sparkly orange vinyl. Kids: No!! There’ll be deluxe versions so just wait. Smart kids. Impulsive father.

People in higher ed were worried about this for ten years. Then Covid. I haven’t heard too much worry about it since then… but in another few years it will probably come up again— but only when AI can do the grading.

In the best of circumstances this would be ludicrous and stupid beyond imagination; but the least trustworthy administration in modern history is asking you to trust them to return it when you leave.

I have been very critical of Mamdani, and I stand by my criticism. That said, if he promises me that he will stop the doorman across the street from leaf blowing every hour around the clock, I will vote for him. Him = Mamdani, not the door man.

Totally surreal to see all this terrible footage from Kerrville, Texas, where my extended family lived and where I visited regularly from age 0 until my late 20s (they later joined the rest of us in PHL).

I noticed an eerie similarity between Congressman Eugene Vindman and the man who Harry Potter transforms into at the Ministry of Magic in Deathly Hallows Pt 1. @gene4va.bsky.social

Always nice to hear/see @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social on To The Contrary with @sykescharlie.bsky.social! m.youtube.com/watch?v=phjh...

Somehow I missed the Cuomo news until just now. I’m not sure why Cuomo is dead set on helping Mamdani, but it doesn’t take a political genius to tell you that an Adams/Cuomo/Mamdani/Sliwa race = Mayor Mamdani.

I did not rank Mamdani. I did not support Mamdani. I plan to vote Eric Adams only to stop Mamdani from becoming mayor… … but this is outrageous and disgusting.

Why the F did Cuomo concede? It’s not looking great— but people enthusiastically supported ZM and reluctantly supported Cuomo. He’s going to be a lot of people’s fifth choice. How many people ranked ZM fifth? I’m guessing not many. But what do I know? I’ve only been a polisci prof for 20 years.

I keep seeing this narrative about “the system” trying to crush a “young and exciting” candidate on behalf of a “gerontocracy.” Two things. 1) Politics is an actual profession. Like any profession, experience matters.

I rarely publicly endorse candidates— but we have an important mayoral primary here in NYC, and so… … I’m still not exactly endorsing any candidate.

The problem with having a malevolent, compulsive lying, idiot president, is that its really hard to know what in his crazy “Truth” is true and what is false and what is just plain weird. TBH, I just assumed he was lying about a cease-fire until the statement from Doha.

Always a pleasure to join Channel 8 News (Sulaymaniyah)!

I like I’m alone in saying this, but Trump hasn’t “started a with Iran,” at least not yet.

On balance, I think the US air strikes are illegal— though it isn’t as simple as the “if the US bombs anyone, anywhere ever, it’s automatically illegal” crowd (and they do exist) would have you believe. Also, just because something is illegal, doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.

I often disagree with AOC; but I do believe she is incredibly smart. That’s why this post surprises me because it is very very overstated — for now at least. And while I believe Trump should be impeached, and that he was wrong today, I don’t think this is what he should be impeached for.

The IRI situation, like most situations, is complex. For now I am: 1) supportive of Israel’s air campaign 2) opposed to Israel attempting “regime change” (in any meaning of word)

I don’t assume the US is now “at war” with the IRI. This could be Trump making a “show of force” like in Syria that allows him to just tell his followers, “I attacked Iran and destroyed their nuclear program and I saved Israel from annihilation.” We might not do anything else. But we also might.

What a time to be a Middle East expert w/20 years experience and be stuck in a blackout in PHL for three days with limited ability to even charge my phone and no ability to watch TV. Back to NYC tomorrow though.

I agree with all but the following words, in order: “#1”; “Zohran”; and “DON’T.” (Though I’d also add a “5th” at the end.)

The report just now on @cnn.com was/is very good but one slight correction. The report says a new SL could be more hardline (very true) and “could even reverse the Supreme Leader’s fatwa against nuclear weapons.”

The various anchors and pundits keep using the words “regime change” in two totally different ways: 1) taking out the SL, which I do not consider to be “regime change”; and 2) ending the Islamic Republic.

It is indeed a problem.

This is a great clip— and I understand why it gets updated and recirculated every few years. It’s funny and it makes a point. But…

Trump’s call for “unconditional surrender” is exhibit 1,729,689,290,274 in why you shouldn’t elect an idiot as president; and especially why you shouldn’t elect a wannabe tough guy who is also an idiot.

My brief thoughts on the (current iteration of the) IRI/SOI (now out of the shadows) war.

If you follow Iran stuff and dont read everything @arashtehran.bsky.social writes, then you don’t really follow Iran stuff.

I agree with this excellent thread. (And is why I was very worried about Trump tweeting “what will little rocket man do in these last moments of his life” back in the fire and fury days.)

This is very disappointing re: Lander— but I’ll probably still rank him. (To be clear, the “him” is Lander.)

1. I disagree strongly that this is a “decapitation strike” in any sense other than military and paramilitary leadership.

Wow.

Very much looking forward to this event on #DPRK #IRI links, coming up in just a few short mins. www.koreasociety.org/policy-and-c...

So… the Trumpsters’ plan to force Harvard to crackdown on Anti-Semitism is to prevent Israeli students from studying at Harvard (and it isn’t like those are the only Jewish international students either). Brilliant plan.