Maurits van der Veen
@amauritsvdv.bsky.social
Political scientist. Teaching Government & Data science @ William & Mary. Eppur si muove. Opinions, reposts, etc. are my own, _not_ those of my employer.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Genuine question: Why's the reaction of many politicians to AI 'it's transformational, we must go faster, we can dismiss concerns over energy, copyright, job losses', yet the reaction to a clean tech transition that's more advanced and has less overt downsides is 'steady now, we need to slow down'.
December 15, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Genuine question: Why's the reaction of many politicians to AI 'it's transformational, we must go faster, we can dismiss concerns over energy, copyright, job losses', yet the reaction to a clean tech transition that's more advanced and has less overt downsides is 'steady now, we need to slow down'.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
This should be the biggest story in the country right now. The sitting US President was extorting state lawmakers from his own party by threatening to withhold public money if they didn’t gerrymander for him.
I don’t know how else to say it…
I don’t know how else to say it…
December 12, 2025 at 4:21 AM
This should be the biggest story in the country right now. The sitting US President was extorting state lawmakers from his own party by threatening to withhold public money if they didn’t gerrymander for him.
I don’t know how else to say it…
I don’t know how else to say it…
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
In a normal administration, this would be a career-ending, weeks-long scandal
MAGAZINER: How many veterans have you deported?
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
NOEM: We haven't deported veterans
MAGAZINER: We are now joined on Zoom by a combat veteran you deported to Korea
December 11, 2025 at 7:04 PM
In a normal administration, this would be a career-ending, weeks-long scandal
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Can Your Face Predict Your Salary? Using AI Personality Assessments in Hiring
A new study from Wharton faculty explores how AI can extract personality traits from facial images — and what that means for your career.
knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu
December 11, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Computer scientists: "So with machine learning we can extract subtle patterns from massive datasets. What shall we do with it?"
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Business school professors, every single time: "You know, I think phrenology got a raw deal in the late 1800s."
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
I'll say again: we are oddly selective about the government services about which we will say, they operate at a loss.
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service
December 7, 2025 at 7:24 AM
I'll say again: we are oddly selective about the government services about which we will say, they operate at a loss.
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
We say Amtrak and the post office "lose money" but we never say highways, the court system, the Pentagon, etc lose money
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Seen on CMU campus ❤️
December 6, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Seen on CMU campus ❤️
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Apparently fact-checking is now considered a threat to national security.
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
State Department to deny visas to fact checkers and others, citing 'censorship'
The order is focused on applicants for H-1B visas, which are frequently used by tech companies and is part of a campaign by the Trump administration against online content moderation.
www.npr.org
December 5, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Apparently fact-checking is now considered a threat to national security.
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
www.npr.org/2025/12/04/n...
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Great Replacement Theory is in the National Security Strategy of the U.S.
In a section titled “Sovereignty and Respect,” the regime says it will fight the “cynical manipulation of our immigration system to build up voting blocs loyal to foreign interests within our country.”
In a section titled “Sovereignty and Respect,” the regime says it will fight the “cynical manipulation of our immigration system to build up voting blocs loyal to foreign interests within our country.”
December 5, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Great Replacement Theory is in the National Security Strategy of the U.S.
In a section titled “Sovereignty and Respect,” the regime says it will fight the “cynical manipulation of our immigration system to build up voting blocs loyal to foreign interests within our country.”
In a section titled “Sovereignty and Respect,” the regime says it will fight the “cynical manipulation of our immigration system to build up voting blocs loyal to foreign interests within our country.”
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
cool that the official position of the administration appears to be that black people don’t really count as americans
"The Donald Trump administration has changed which holidays qualify for free entrance to national parks, removing two holidays celebrating Black people and adding the president’s birthday."
National parks change prioritizes Trump birthday over days honoring Black people
Free entrance days at national parks no longer include MLK Day and Juneteenth.
www.sfgate.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:20 PM
cool that the official position of the administration appears to be that black people don’t really count as americans
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
According to this Supreme Court:
❌ Using race conscious admissions in college to give minorities a fair shot
✅ Using race to profile people on the street to detain for immigration sweeps
✅ Using race to disenfranchise minorities in elecciones
The only consistency is white supremacy.
❌ Using race conscious admissions in college to give minorities a fair shot
✅ Using race to profile people on the street to detain for immigration sweeps
✅ Using race to disenfranchise minorities in elecciones
The only consistency is white supremacy.
December 5, 2025 at 12:37 AM
According to this Supreme Court:
❌ Using race conscious admissions in college to give minorities a fair shot
✅ Using race to profile people on the street to detain for immigration sweeps
✅ Using race to disenfranchise minorities in elecciones
The only consistency is white supremacy.
❌ Using race conscious admissions in college to give minorities a fair shot
✅ Using race to profile people on the street to detain for immigration sweeps
✅ Using race to disenfranchise minorities in elecciones
The only consistency is white supremacy.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Hard to overstate how damning it is they've spun their wheels trying to come up with their strongest possible argument and the best they can do, the rationalization for it Hegseth actually put in writing, is "we can kill shipwrecked survivors if they try to call for help."
2/ The Hegseth-approved contingency plan:
The U.S. military could try to kill shipwrecked survivors if "they took what the United States deemed to be a hostile action, like communicating with suspected cartel members."
The U.S. military could try to kill shipwrecked survivors if "they took what the United States deemed to be a hostile action, like communicating with suspected cartel members."
December 4, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Hard to overstate how damning it is they've spun their wheels trying to come up with their strongest possible argument and the best they can do, the rationalization for it Hegseth actually put in writing, is "we can kill shipwrecked survivors if they try to call for help."
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
The thing about all the anti-trans sports panic: people argue this stuff while talking about elite level sports, but because there aren't actually a ton of superhuman trans women blowing away the competition, the people actually affected end up being those who play sports for fun/socialization
December 4, 2025 at 12:52 AM
The thing about all the anti-trans sports panic: people argue this stuff while talking about elite level sports, but because there aren't actually a ton of superhuman trans women blowing away the competition, the people actually affected end up being those who play sports for fun/socialization
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
i'd go even further and say there is a reason even nixon kept this kind of stuff to himself. you would have to go back quite a bit to find a point at which is acceptable for a president to say anything like this *in public*, to say nothing of in the oval office.
I don’t want to be pollyannish about the past, but it was basically inconceivable twenty years ago that a president would say this publicly
Trump: "It’s a hellhole right now. And those Somalians should be out of here. They've destroyed our country. And all they do is complain, complain, complain. You have her. She’s always talking about the Constitution provides me with – go back to your own country and figure out your constitution."
December 3, 2025 at 11:04 PM
i'd go even further and say there is a reason even nixon kept this kind of stuff to himself. you would have to go back quite a bit to find a point at which is acceptable for a president to say anything like this *in public*, to say nothing of in the oval office.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Really appreciate the clarity of the president saying black people are ruining the country and this entire room of groveling empty suits saying nothing bsky.app/profile/just...
Trump, continued: "What the Somalian people have done to Minnesota is not even believable. It’s not even believable. And a lot of it starts with the governor. A lot of it starts with Barack HUSSEIN Obama, because that’s when people started coming in... They want to kiss our country good night."
December 3, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Really appreciate the clarity of the president saying black people are ruining the country and this entire room of groveling empty suits saying nothing bsky.app/profile/just...
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
We're doing pogroms in America now
Officials prepare immigration operation in Minnesota that would focus on Somali immigrants, source tells AP, as Trump says he doesn't want Somalis in U.S.
Federal authorities plan operation in Minnesota focusing on Somali immigrants, AP source says
Federal authorities are preparing an immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, focusing on Somali immigrants living unlawfully in the U.S.
bit.ly
December 3, 2025 at 4:50 AM
We're doing pogroms in America now
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
What does it say about this country that that the kind of open, rank bigotry Trump administration officials regularly express towards black immigrants apparently has no social cost because of the number of Americans who quietly agree or don't care.
December 3, 2025 at 11:35 AM
What does it say about this country that that the kind of open, rank bigotry Trump administration officials regularly express towards black immigrants apparently has no social cost because of the number of Americans who quietly agree or don't care.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
She shouldn't have to keep doing this by herself. She is supposedly a member of a political party and every single one of her *colleagues* should be BLASTING the fascist in chief. ALL OF THEM. Where is the solidarity???
Congresswoman Omar calls Trump's comments about her 'creepy' after the US president launches into an anti-Somali tirade.
Ilhan Omar denounces Donald Trump for calling Somali immigrants ‘garbage’
Congresswoman Omar calls Trump's comments about her 'creepy' after the US president launches into an anti-Somali tirade.
bit.ly
December 3, 2025 at 12:34 AM
She shouldn't have to keep doing this by herself. She is supposedly a member of a political party and every single one of her *colleagues* should be BLASTING the fascist in chief. ALL OF THEM. Where is the solidarity???
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
I know it's too easy to grow numb to the constant flood of bigotry that comes out of his mouth but it does seem morally important you don't allow yourself or anyone else to become desensitized to this vile racism as a normal part of our politics
Trump on Somalis: "We're gonna go the wrong way if we keep taking in garbage into our country. Ilhan Omar is garbage. She's garbage. Her friends are garbage."
December 2, 2025 at 7:45 PM
I know it's too easy to grow numb to the constant flood of bigotry that comes out of his mouth but it does seem morally important you don't allow yourself or anyone else to become desensitized to this vile racism as a normal part of our politics
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
The administration is extorting universities for billions of dollars and attempting to destroy free speech, academic freedom, and independent thought but the Atlantic talked to a few professors at elite universities who think the problem is that some students need a little extra time on exams
December 2, 2025 at 3:06 PM
The administration is extorting universities for billions of dollars and attempting to destroy free speech, academic freedom, and independent thought but the Atlantic talked to a few professors at elite universities who think the problem is that some students need a little extra time on exams
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
"That's right—three." Herblock's cartoon of Uncle Sam having to teach Congress about the balance of powers, after the Brown v Board decision and during Senator McCarthy's anti-communist crusade, May 1954.
December 2, 2025 at 12:47 PM
"That's right—three." Herblock's cartoon of Uncle Sam having to teach Congress about the balance of powers, after the Brown v Board decision and during Senator McCarthy's anti-communist crusade, May 1954.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
If you have to get your syllabus approved by an apparatchik before you can teach a class, you're not a university anymore you're a regime indoctrination center.
TX Tech has a flow chat for guidance on what can be taught in the university system. Two things:
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
1. Very little content seems to be permitted. This is partisan control of the curriculum.
2. I would not enjoy teaching under these conditions, but I really would not want to be a Chair or Dean.
December 2, 2025 at 12:11 AM
If you have to get your syllabus approved by an apparatchik before you can teach a class, you're not a university anymore you're a regime indoctrination center.
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
Reposted by Maurits van der Veen
"Never spread the lie in the headline" should be a hard rule of 21st century journalism.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
Research shows that repeating lies helps to spread them, and people read headlines more than they read stories.
News media has to do better with headlines that present false and unverified public health claims.
November 30, 2025 at 2:04 AM