This is as good and urgent as others have been saying. I don't think it's possible to sustain anything resembling mass democracy in a post-literate society. musgrave.substack.com/p/a-post-lit...

"We are in the midst of one of the darkest forms of software in history, described by many as an unwanted guest invading their products, their social media feeds, their bosses’ empty minds, and resting in the hands of monsters."

On this day 10 years ago, Russia entered the Syrian civil war on behalf of the Assad regime, devastating infrastructure, displacing millions and murdering thousands of Syrian civilians.

Despite all of these widespread crimes, Moscow and Assad would go on to lose.

If administrators can dictate what professors teach in the classroom, based on their idea of what politicians want, there is *already* no "academic freedom." The violation of that boundary ended it. There is only whatever politicians haven't yet thought to denounce, and only until they denounce it.

Before I turn on @npr.org again or read another @nytimes.com editorial, because I know exactly how it'll be:

This isn't "a threat" to academic freedom. It's not igniting "a debate" about it. The "future" of academic freedom isn't at stake. This is what the end of academic freedom has made possible.

We know you don’t care for international law and you are incapable of living in peace with your neighbours. Your insane nationalism contains a lust for domination that will not cease until you realise that the age of empires is over and that your empire will not be rebuilt. youtu.be/rpwHKpyQ8go?...

Having spent last week in Ukraine, 2 impressions stand out:
1. The US is out, providing no assistance whatsoever, but Ukrainians are diplomatically not complaining.
2. Physically, Ukraine can produce all the arms they need, but to do so they need financing from Europe.

A plagiarism on both your houses!

Whether it's Obama wearing a tan suit or Trump declaring "Chipocalypse Now" and pledging to unleash "the Department of WAR" on America's third largest city, leaders of both parties have shown disregard for presidential norms.

I’ve studied US drone strikes, I wrote a book called “Drones and Terrorism,” and this Caribbean strike is different.

Lethal fire at a non-threatening target in a non-hostile environment on purpose when other means, such as capture, were easily doable, and without even attempting a legal rationale.

A beauty parlor lost its windows in the Russian attack on #Kyiv but continues working with clients.

When you look at the images of the devastation Russia brings to Ukraine, I want you to also think about the unbelievable Ukrainian resilience. We are strong and fierce.

An absolutely harrowing and important story -- ChatGPT and other chatbots are becoming deeply enmeshed in many people's personal and social lives to an incredible degree, and the consequences can be devastating.

Updates from the faculty union at the University of Oregon since my original post. Also, apologies for a typo in my post: it’s UO not OU for the University of Oregon. newsletter.uauoregon.org/after-accept...

A massive attack on several humanities units (Arabic Studies, Judaic Studies, Holocaust Studies, Classics, Religion, German & Scandinavian, Russian/East European/Eurasian Studies) *and* tenure now unfolding at the University of Oregon (a blue state!). Closure of units and faculty layoffs threatened.

Crimea is the original sin in the war. The West should not have encouraged Ukraine to give it up in the first place but put all the pressure they can to push Russia out instead. Crimea was a big green light for Russia. Enormous shame on Obama and Merkel for appeasing Russia.

"Compared to warfare, occupation does not decreases human suffering

- it just makes it invisible for the world."

- Oleksandra Matviichuk
Human rights activist,
2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner

Considering the role that science has played in developing new technologies for war like the A bomb or Nazi abuse of Darwinism to justify the Holocaust, Morris’s claim that science is “apolitical“ demonstrates his ignorance of the history of science + the value + importance of humanities education.

In which a Yale prof calls for jettisoning humanities to make way for science-only universities.

“scientists… are being punished for the sins of [humanities scholars] because we all live under one roof. I cannot see a compelling reason for our continued cohabitation.”

Hitler tells Neville Chamberlain he'll halt war in exchange for the Sudetenland.

And the rest of Czechoslovakia. And Danzig. And the rest of Poland. And Denmark. And the Low Countries. And Northern France. And...

Thanks!

Good god sorry to hear about Substack. Some of my favorite authors are on Substack, and I haven't seen any Nazi-related posts, but I'm not surprised they are infiltrating the website. Btw, what's your take on Medium for self-publishing articles of general and academic interest?