Stephen Walt
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Stephen Walt
@stephenwalt.bsky.social
3.7K followers 220 following 270 posts

Harvard professor, realist, FP columnist. Tennis enthusiast, amateur musician, proud dad, & grateful husband. Troubled by the state of the world & looking for solutions. For speaking engagements contact John Bute at [email protected] .. more

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Stephen Martin Walt is an American political scientist serving as the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of international relations at the Harvard Kennedy School. A member of the realist school of international relations, Walt has made important contributions to the theory of neorealism and has authored the balance of threat theory. Books that he has authored or coauthored include Origins of Alliances, Revolution and War, and The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. .. more

Political science 72%
Sociology 17%
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stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 13h
This is a thought-provoking piece that anyone interested in the relationship between power, policy relevance, and scholarship should read and ponder. dissentmagazine.org/article/the-...
The Demise of Conflict Studies - Dissent Magazine
An entire industry specializing in mediation, peacekeeping, disarmament, and transitional justice has become largely obsolete.
dissentmagazine.org

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

freddydeknatel.bsky.social
Frederick Deknatel @freddydeknatel.bsky.social · 19h
“Superior technology ultimately wins out. By the time the industry is dominated by EVs, GM and Ford may have fallen well behind China, thanks to the Trump admin. This isn’t industrial policy; it’s industrial suicide.”

Not really a question of “may have.” They already have and may catch up.
Opinion | $25 Billion. That’s What Trump Cost Detroit.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

elizkolbert.bsky.social
Elizabeth Kolbert @elizkolbert.bsky.social · 20h
Trump's war on EVs "isn’t industrial policy; it’s industrial suicide."
Opinion | $25 Billion. That’s What Trump Cost Detroit.
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, David R. Miller, Jason Lyall , and 1 more

brendannyhan.bsky.social
Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 20h
There is nothing complex or subtle or hard to understand about what is happening here.
ryanenos.bsky.social Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 20h
This is not the language of the government of a free country.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, David R. Miller, Kai Gehring

nicholasgrossman.bsky.social
Nicholas Grossman @nicholasgrossman.bsky.social · 20h
The United States needs military access to Greenland, which it already has, to defend the Arctic, which it already does, from Russian and Chinese ships, which aren’t actually there, and this is so important we should destroy the Western alliance to get it, do I have that right?

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

justsecurity.org
Just Security @justsecurity.org · 1d
On Jan. 7, the U.S. withdrew from 66 international organizations.

“Whatever the modest cost-savings that are generated by this U.S. withdrawal from the multilateral system, the loss of long-term influence will be far greater,” write U.N. and White House policy experts Julian Simcock and Chris Lu
The United States in Retreat
U.S. withdrawal from 66 international organizations marks a retreat from global leadership and an opportunity for adversaries ascend.
www.justsecurity.org

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 2d
“Perfidy” is an apt word for much of what this regime is doing.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

clancyny.bsky.social
Eileen Clancy 🧿 @clancyny.bsky.social · 2d
@people.com:
Renee Good, Woman Killed by ICE, Traveled to N.Y.C. to Feed, Photograph Homeless People: 'She Wanted to Know Their Stories' (Exclusive) [Published on January 9]
Renee Good, Woman Killed by ICE, Traveled to N.Y.C. to Feed, Photograph Homeless People: 'She Wanted to Know Their Stories' (Exclusive)
Renee Nicole Good, the woman who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, is remembered for taking a photography trip to New York City, where she gave out food to homeless people ...
people.com

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Brendan Nyhan, Edgar Morgenroth , and 1 more

maxberger.bsky.social
Max Berger @maxberger.bsky.social · 3d
The DOJ is more than three weeks late in delivering the Epstein Files. In those three weeks:

- Trump declared himself acting President of Venezuela
- ICE murdered a woman in Minnesota
- Trump is preparing an invasion of a NATO ally
- Trump initiated a criminal investigation of Fed Chair Powell

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Anna O. Law, Elizabeth Saunders , and 29 more

cthomasjamh.bsky.social
Charlie Thomas @cthomasjamh.bsky.social · 3d
This is the sort of statement that was expected from every university president and law firm partner over the last year. That those statements weren’t made played a huge part in where we are now and people will remember.
joshuajfriedman.com Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 3d
Jerome Powell: "This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation."

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Brian A. Nosek, Brendan Nyhan , and 6 more

justinwolfers.bsky.social
Justin Wolfers @justinwolfers.bsky.social · 3d
Attempting to criminalize the actions of an independent public servant, Fed Chair Jay Powell, for the sin of acting independently is an outrage. It's bad economics, bad politics, bad for the rule of law, bad for the public sector, bad for American credibility and bad for Americans.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Nazita Lajevardi, Michael D. McDonald , and 1 more

dell.bsky.social
dell cameron @dell.bsky.social · 3d
In extraordinary message, Fed chair announces that he’s being extorted/coerced by the US government under color of law.

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Stephen M. Walt, Kori Schake , and 88 more

federalreserve.gov
Federal Reserve @federalreserve.gov · 3d
Video message from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KckG...
www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/s...
Statement by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell
YouTube video by Federal Reserve
www.youtube.com

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 3d
Breaking News: U.S. prosecutors are said to have opened an inquiry into Jerome Powell, an escalation of the clash between the Fed chair and President Trump.
Federal Prosecutors Are Said to Have Opened Inquiry Into Fed Chair Powell
The investigation, which centers on renovations of the Federal Reserve’s headquarters in Washington, signals an escalation in the long-running clash between President Trump and the chair.
nyti.ms

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

portlandrose.bsky.social
Attie (SHE/HER) @portlandrose.bsky.social · 3d
Hoosiers! Indiana! Tonight in Irvington!!

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

bostonreview.bsky.social
Boston Review @bostonreview.bsky.social · 3d
“This is how the myth of political violence works: the right elevates isolated acts—Charlie Kirk’s killing, for example—into proof of radical chaos threatening the nation while obscuring the far greater structural violence carried out daily through policy, policing, deportation, and war.”
What Is Political Violence?
Pundits and politicians conceal the truth: it’s all around us, perpetrated by our political system itself.
www.bostonreview.net

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

rgoodlaw.bsky.social
Ryan Goodman @rgoodlaw.bsky.social · 3d
7/ I have made the 2013 PERF report available here as well as DHS, DOJ, and Customs and Border Patrol Policies on Use of Deadly Force and Moving Vehicles:

www.justsecurity.org/128498/dhs-d...

DHS, DOJ, and Customs and Border Patrol Policies on Use of Deadly Force and Moving Vehicles
Collection of use of force policies issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Patrol, and the Department of Justice over time.
www.justsecurity.org

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 4d
JD Vance says new federal anti-fraud efforts will be run “out of the White House.” That’s good; they won’t have to leave the building. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/08/u...
Vance Announces New Justice Dept. Fraud Post to Be ‘Run Out of the White House’
www.nytimes.com

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 5d
Bad Cop; Worse Cop.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

foreignpolicy.com
Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 5d
Trying to run the Western Hemisphere at the point of a gun is not going to work any better in the future than it did in the past.
The ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Makes No Sense
Even a generous reading results in a heap of contradictions.
foreignpolicy.com

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

joshuajfriedman.com
Joshua J. Friedman @joshuajfriedman.com · 5d
"We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, all of us deserve compassion and kindness. Renee lived this belief every day. ...

"On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns." —Becca Good

Reposted by Robert Wolfe

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 5d
#Trump & Co. claim to be ‘realists” who understand how power works in world politics In this NYT piece, Linda Kinstler talks to realist scholars (including yours truly) who explain what Trump and his minions get wrong. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/09/m...
The Theory That Gives Trump a Blank Check for Aggression
www.nytimes.com

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 5d
#Trump told NYT that the only limit on his power is “my own morality.” Would love to hear him unpack the ethical framework that justifies his chronic lying, business fraud, sexual abuse, racism, hateful rhetoric, and willingness to inflict unnecessary suffering on vast numbers of innocent people.

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 5d
Remember when #Trump warned of “carnage” in America in his 2017 Inaugural? What he didn’t mention is that he was going to bring it—first on January 6, 2021, and now by unleashing ICE.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

ryanenos.bsky.social
Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 5d
bsky.app/profile/bjgu...

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, David Rothschild, Kristina McElheran

bjgunts.bsky.social
B.J. Gunts @bjgunts.bsky.social · 5d
In Casablanca, the opening scene depicts nazis demanding to see papers then shooting a ma who runs away. However, it’s slightly more complicated because the man wasn’t cooperating and the officer was practicing self defense.

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jan W. Mueller, Matthew Bunn , and 19 more

gbbranstetter.bsky.social
Gillian Branstetter @gbbranstetter.bsky.social · 6d
Editorial in the National Catholic Reporter: "The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel."
Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good
After the tragic shooting of Renee Good at the hands of ICE, the Catholic vice president of the United States took to social media to justify the killing.
www.ncronline.org

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Brendan Nyhan, Philip N. Cohen

jonathanmladd.com
Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 6d
Earlier today, Elon Musk endorsed full-on Neo-Nazi blood and soil ideology.
Elon Musk tweet

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, John McLaren, Christopher Wright , and 14 more

radleybalko.bsky.social
Radley Balko @radleybalko.bsky.social · 6d
Yes, JD. Let’s ask them if they think a stay at home mom, avowed Christian, and widow of a veteran deserved to be shot in the face and left to bleed out in her own car after dropping her 6-year-old off at school, for the crime of looking out for her neighbors. Let’s ask everyone running for office.

stephenwalt.bsky.social
Stephen Walt @stephenwalt.bsky.social · 6d
A law degree, and no principles, conscience, or integrity whatsoever.