Benjamin McKean
@blmckean.bsky.social
associate professor of political science at Ohio State University // global justice, supply chains, populism, climate change, critical theory, etc // all tweets (skeets?) produced accidentally by having my phone in a pants pocket while I walk the dog
Pinned
Benjamin McKean
@blmckean.bsky.social
· Nov 20
OK, with many new followers this week, it's a good time for a thread introducing myself - I'm a political theorist who works on questions of global justice, focusing on supply chains, populism, and (increasingly) climate change. Below I'll link some of my work that's free to read benjaminlmckean.com
Julian Sayin looks a decade younger than the cast of Stranger Things at this point
November 29, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Julian Sayin looks a decade younger than the cast of Stranger Things at this point
And thus ends the best three and a half hours of the year for going shopping and running errands in Columbus, Ohio
November 29, 2025 at 8:29 PM
And thus ends the best three and a half hours of the year for going shopping and running errands in Columbus, Ohio
“Many pedestrians and cyclists said they love the new trail and scenic bridges, but the intersection is where the trouble starts. They said that with cars turning off SR 315 at the same time that people get a walk signal, it’s a dangerous combination.”
Uh, yeah, I would say that sounds dangerous!
Uh, yeah, I would say that sounds dangerous!
Yesterday, I saw a good example of the problem: a driver exiting 315 did the right thing by stopping for people in the crossing. The driver behind almost rear-ended that car, and then leaned on the horn in apparent anger, trying to get the first driver to keep going.
Fix this, Columbus.
Fix this, Columbus.
www.nbc4i.com
November 29, 2025 at 4:34 PM
“Many pedestrians and cyclists said they love the new trail and scenic bridges, but the intersection is where the trouble starts. They said that with cars turning off SR 315 at the same time that people get a walk signal, it’s a dangerous combination.”
Uh, yeah, I would say that sounds dangerous!
Uh, yeah, I would say that sounds dangerous!
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
Don't worry, if you go to Northwestern, you can "choose to identify" as trans, you just can't live or use the bathroom there
"The agreement places no restrictions on our transgender community."
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
Except whether they can play sports, where they can use the bathroom or locker room, what kind of housing they can live in, and what healthcare they can receive.
November 29, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Don't worry, if you go to Northwestern, you can "choose to identify" as trans, you just can't live or use the bathroom there
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
4 things of equal importance to the people of central Ohio
It was a very different world the last time Ohio State beat Michigan but Columbus residents are ready for the streak to end. https://nbc4i.co/4pBFgxH?utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky_
November 29, 2025 at 2:23 PM
4 things of equal importance to the people of central Ohio
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
As a Jewish Northwestern faculty member, it adds insult to the injury of this abominable agreement that DOJ claims to have done this to protect the Jews.
You've heard of the Friday night news dump. Here's the Friday night of Thanksgiving wknd dump. For special circumstances, like when the faculty assembly votes 595-4 against paying to end a shakedown and you do it anyway. Link to agreement here: bulkmail.northwestern.edu/trk/click?re...
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 1:45 PM
As a Jewish Northwestern faculty member, it adds insult to the injury of this abominable agreement that DOJ claims to have done this to protect the Jews.
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
Pretty sure this is it, *this* is the act of cruelty that will finally convince people that actually Reform are wrong and the problems with our politics aren't that The Invidious Foreigner is undermining us from within but actually we've just lacked sensible technocratic management in Whitehall.
This is just revolting cruelty, done to pander to racists who won't give it the time of day. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Government to ban asylum seekers from using taxis
The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 29, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Pretty sure this is it, *this* is the act of cruelty that will finally convince people that actually Reform are wrong and the problems with our politics aren't that The Invidious Foreigner is undermining us from within but actually we've just lacked sensible technocratic management in Whitehall.
Hard to think of ways of punishing the trustees and administrators who agreed to this without doing collateral damage to the students and workers who had no say in this shameful collaboration but I’m confident we can come up with something
BREAKING: Northwestern University has agreed to pay the U.S. Treasury $75 million, over the course of three years as part of an agreement with the federal government to restore funding and end investigations into the university
Full statement from NU below:
Full statement from NU below:
November 29, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Hard to think of ways of punishing the trustees and administrators who agreed to this without doing collateral damage to the students and workers who had no say in this shameful collaboration but I’m confident we can come up with something
Forgot that the jazz club where Chow Yun-Fat’s character performs in Hard-Boiled helpfully has a sign in it that says JAZZ CLUB
November 29, 2025 at 2:22 AM
Forgot that the jazz club where Chow Yun-Fat’s character performs in Hard-Boiled helpfully has a sign in it that says JAZZ CLUB
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
Once again, you now live in a country where there are two classes of citizenship, & those of us who hold the second class variety can apparently lose ours if we do not show good behavior to Dear Leader & the far right authoritarian party.
The President of the United States promising a policy of mass denaturalization of citizens "who undermine domestic tranquility"
Trump: “I will permanently pause migration from all Third World Countries … denaturalize migrants who undermine domestic tranquility, and deport any Foreign National who is a public charge, security risk, or non-compatible with Western Civilization.“
November 28, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Once again, you now live in a country where there are two classes of citizenship, & those of us who hold the second class variety can apparently lose ours if we do not show good behavior to Dear Leader & the far right authoritarian party.
TFW you are a bored 9-year-old at Thanksgiving dinner and decide to make an art installation
November 28, 2025 at 4:22 AM
TFW you are a bored 9-year-old at Thanksgiving dinner and decide to make an art installation
Me: “Oh no, we still have to make the mashed potatoes!”
My wife, pulling an Ozymandias: “Do you seriously think I’d forget a dish and risk the slightest chance of it affecting dinner? I made them 3 hours and 35 minutes ago.”
My wife, pulling an Ozymandias: “Do you seriously think I’d forget a dish and risk the slightest chance of it affecting dinner? I made them 3 hours and 35 minutes ago.”
November 27, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Me: “Oh no, we still have to make the mashed potatoes!”
My wife, pulling an Ozymandias: “Do you seriously think I’d forget a dish and risk the slightest chance of it affecting dinner? I made them 3 hours and 35 minutes ago.”
My wife, pulling an Ozymandias: “Do you seriously think I’d forget a dish and risk the slightest chance of it affecting dinner? I made them 3 hours and 35 minutes ago.”
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
As @rjjago.bsky.social points out in this excellent editorial, this is not a victimless crime. And King has profited greatly from ethnic fraud: he has made an entire career from speaking for (and not just writing about) Indigenous peoples.
This is probably the most important point though:
This is probably the most important point though:
November 26, 2025 at 6:15 PM
As @rjjago.bsky.social points out in this excellent editorial, this is not a victimless crime. And King has profited greatly from ethnic fraud: he has made an entire career from speaking for (and not just writing about) Indigenous peoples.
This is probably the most important point though:
This is probably the most important point though:
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
Again, there is no plan for running our universities without federal funding, or foreign students, at scale. But the public has no idea about this because no. one. is. telling. them. this. They expect their kids are still going to be able to do all the things at college in the next 4 years, & well:
The entire business model of R1 public universities rests on 4 revenue sources:
1. Federal grants
2. Private gifts/endowments
3. Tuition (esp. from foreign students)
4. State $
For decades, 📈 in 1-3 offset a secular 📉 in 4. Now, 1 & 3 are being decimated & 4 ain't coming back. The math is clear.
1. Federal grants
2. Private gifts/endowments
3. Tuition (esp. from foreign students)
4. State $
For decades, 📈 in 1-3 offset a secular 📉 in 4. Now, 1 & 3 are being decimated & 4 ain't coming back. The math is clear.
November 27, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Again, there is no plan for running our universities without federal funding, or foreign students, at scale. But the public has no idea about this because no. one. is. telling. them. this. They expect their kids are still going to be able to do all the things at college in the next 4 years, & well:
Nothing says “Thanksgiving spirit” like watching Foreigner lip sync in front of a Stranger Things float - thanks, Macy’s!
November 27, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Nothing says “Thanksgiving spirit” like watching Foreigner lip sync in front of a Stranger Things float - thanks, Macy’s!
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
This means NSF dissertation improvement grants in the social sciences are simply...not happening.
NEW from me - NSF cancels grant scheme for social science research.
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Seems the NSF quietly archived ALL calls for DDRIG grants in the SBE directorate. This is a massive blow for PhD students wanting to do cutting-edge social science research. 🏺🧪
Today's biggest science news: Doomed comet explodes | Comet 3I/ATLAS course alteration | Dark matter detected?
Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025: Your daily feed of the biggest discoveries and breakthroughs making headlines.
www.livescience.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:16 PM
This means NSF dissertation improvement grants in the social sciences are simply...not happening.
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
NEW: 80 ice cream workers across 8 locations of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio are unionizing with UFCW.
November 26, 2025 at 10:27 PM
NEW: 80 ice cream workers across 8 locations of Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio are unionizing with UFCW.
Reposted by Benjamin McKean
What a lovely essay, full of hard-won wisdom. I wish those of us in academia spent a larger portion of our time thinking and talking about this kind of stuff, in this clear and earnest manner, both with each other and with our students.
November 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
What a lovely essay, full of hard-won wisdom. I wish those of us in academia spent a larger portion of our time thinking and talking about this kind of stuff, in this clear and earnest manner, both with each other and with our students.
Who do you think is leading your local Indivisible group? Nana going to be the one who insists on laying it all out
one of you is going to be tempted to try to explain the Lizza-Nuzzi business during Thanksgiving dinner
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
you need to resist this urge
nana does not need to know about this
November 27, 2025 at 12:18 AM
Who do you think is leading your local Indivisible group? Nana going to be the one who insists on laying it all out
“To the Karen at Honey Baked Ham on Polaris Pkwy 5pm” is a great title for a poem
November 27, 2025 at 12:05 AM
“To the Karen at Honey Baked Ham on Polaris Pkwy 5pm” is a great title for a poem
I have nothing sophisticated to say about this but man, the plagiarism machine is so soul destroying
NEW: AI “recipe slop” is overrunning search and social. Food creators say Google’s AI Overviews and glossy fake food pics are drowning out real, tested recipes — collapsing traffic and setting home cooks up for disaster, especially this Thanksgiving.
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
AI Slop Recipes Are Taking Over the Internet -- And Thanksgiving Dinner
Food bloggers see traffic dip as home cooks turn to AI, inspired by impossible pictures
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 11:48 PM
I have nothing sophisticated to say about this but man, the plagiarism machine is so soul destroying
“Mamdani’s victory was based, to a significant extent, on organizations with real members who engage in meaningful civic and political activity.”
Would be nice to have organizations like that in Columbus!
Would be nice to have organizations like that in Columbus!
"Why fill in the hollow parties when you can do much the same thing outside of them?" Not quite sure I buy everything here, but a smart, meaty analysis of Mamdani campaign's civic roots and possibilities.
And, I might add, exactly what an author wants to see with a book out in the world.
And, I might add, exactly what an author wants to see with a book out in the world.
Zohran Mamdani’s victory was rooted in organizations that took up the base-building and mobilization functions that once fell to parties. dissentmagazine.org/online_artic...
November 25, 2025 at 10:06 PM
“Mamdani’s victory was based, to a significant extent, on organizations with real members who engage in meaningful civic and political activity.”
Would be nice to have organizations like that in Columbus!
Would be nice to have organizations like that in Columbus!
Reportedly this political science professor has been released but he never should have been detained in the first place - I hope @apsa.bsky.social will say something
My colleague, Dr. Vahid Abedini, was illegally detained by ICE on Saturday. He is currently being held without a court date in sight, despite being in the country legally. Please spread the word! We must ensure his due process rights are upheld. www.oudaily.com/news/ou-prof...
OU College of International Studies professor reportedly arrested by ICE
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reportedly arrested an OU professor at Will Rogers International Airport Saturday.
www.oudaily.com
November 25, 2025 at 7:56 PM
Reportedly this political science professor has been released but he never should have been detained in the first place - I hope @apsa.bsky.social will say something
i have spent years strenuously trying not to learn anything about Nick Cave's politics and i'm not going to stop now
November 25, 2025 at 3:06 PM
i have spent years strenuously trying not to learn anything about Nick Cave's politics and i'm not going to stop now