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Stephen M. Walt

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Stephen Martin Walt is an American political scientist serving as the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of international relations at… more

Stephen M. Walt
H-index: 35
Political science 72%
Sociology 17%
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

thedsrnetwork.bsky.social
Predatory behavior and incoherence are the two words that come to mind when thinking about Trump's foreign policy. @stephenwalt.bsky.social joins @djrothkopf.bsky.social, @rosabrooks.bsky.social, and @kschake.bsky.social to discuss. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

youtu.be/tOHiPrV4-T8
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

foreignpolicy.com
Only the end of Israel’s special relationship with the United States would signal a true end of war, columnist @stephenwalt.bsky.social writes.
The Peace in Gaza Won’t Last
Only the end of Israel’s special relationship with the United States would signal a true end of war.
foreignpolicy.com
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by Stephen M. Walt

stephenwalt.bsky.social
A lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace will require many steps, but a normal rather than “special” relationship between the US and Israel must be one of them. Latest FP column here: foreignpolicy.com/2025/10/15/t...
The Peace in Gaza Won’t Last
Only the end of Israel’s special relationship with the United States would signal a true end of war.
foreignpolicy.com
7 8

Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nbcnews.com
The U.S. says that it stands by its Philippine ally and emphasized their mutual defense treaty after vessels from China and the Philippines clashed amid heightened tensions in the disputed South China Sea.
U.S. backs Philippine ally after China warns over vessel clash
Earlier, Beijing urged Manila not to challenge its efforts to “safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests” after Sunday’s incident in the Spratly Islands.
nbcnews.to
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

aubreygilleran.bsky.social
Just absolutely ridiculous that in all likelihood, my state will have had different congressional maps in 2018, 2020, 2022, 2024, and 2026, due to a combination of court orders and mid-cycle redistricting.
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jonathan A. Eisen, John R. Hutchinson

gtconway.bsky.social
Find an event near you at nokings.org/#map.
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Will Jennings, Brendan Nyhan , and 4 more

nickkristof.bsky.social
In Portland, an ambulance was summoned to the ICE office to treat an injured protester (not clear how he was injured). But when the patient was loaded inside, ICE officers refused to let the ambulance leave and threatened to shoot the ambulance driver: www.wweek.com/news/2025/10...
Documents Allege a Federal Agent at Portland ICE Threatened to Shoot an Ambulance Driver
Feds delayed medics who had come to pick up an injured protester. Then, according to confidential incident reports, the agents became aggressive.
www.wweek.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Norbert Schwarz, Kate Starbird

simsjames.bsky.social
“We must be steadfast in opposition to extortion under the guise of dealmaking, and we must create alliances rooted in a common devotion to freedom of inquiry…We have rejected tyranny before, and we can do it again.” — Wesleyan University President @msroth.bsky.social in @thebulwark.com #HigherEd
What’s a College President to Do in the Trump Era?
Not going on bended knee to Washington would be a good start.
open.substack.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jane E. Fountain, Sanford F. Schram , and 5 more

jessemermell.bsky.social
He is 13. A 7th grader w/ a pending asylum case. Being held more than 500 miles from home & housed w/ adults. He called his mom crying, & reported that he’s sleeping on concrete w/ an aluminum blanket.

How is this anything other than sick & shameful? www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...
Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility - The Boston Globe
The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested.
www.bostonglobe.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers

lincolnproject.us
Trump's approval rating is now -16%. If you're dissatisfied, you're not alone.
https://www.economist.com/interactive/trump-approval-tracker
Donald Trump’s approval rating
Follow our presidential approval rating poll tracker to see how favourably Americans view Mr Trump
www.economist.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Philip Nel

jfallows.bsky.social
It's official:

-2025 is now a more threatening year for the survival of the republic than 1968.

-John Roberts will now go down in history as a worse chief justice than Roger "Dred Scott" Taney.

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/u...
Federal Judges, Warning of ‘Judicial Crisis,’ Fault Supreme Court’s Emergency Orders
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

nytimes.com
In Opinion | If President Trump wanted to help Portland, “there are many ways he could do so with the $10 million that was the estimated cost of his deployment of the Oregon National Guard,” our columnist Nicholas Kristof writes.
Opinion | Our Beautiful Portland Hellscape
With the millions being used to deploy troops to Portland, Trump could help with treatment for substance use, with emergency housing, with education.
nyti.ms
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Kim L. Scheppele, David C. Kimball , and 2 more

jfallows.bsky.social
Re-upping:

Excellent assessment of John "Roger Taney" Roberts.

In @harvardmagazine.bsky.social , by Lincoln Caplan.

As careful, legally informed, judicious-minded writer as you're going to find. With an unsparing judgment.

www.harvardmagazine.com/legal/suprem...
What Trump Means for John Roberts's Legacy | Harvard Magazine
Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.
www.harvardmagazine.com
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by Nancy Kanwisher — Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

Thank you @jfallows.bsky.social for pointing out this utter garbage in the NYT. Shame on them!
jfallows.bsky.social
James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 4d
'Irresponsible both-sidesism' can become motto for US politics coverage.

'All the news that's fit to print' elsewhere.

(Reminder: Stories themselves are usually clear-eyed. But most people see only the headline and subhead—'hed and dek' in the parlance—and hed and dek are too often like this.)
davidcorn.bsky.social
David Corn @davidcorn.bsky.social · 4d
A classic case of irresponsible both-sidesism from the NYT. The story is that Trump and MAGA propagandists are lying about Portland to incite a conflict, not that there are different views of the matter.
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Steve Peers, Frank C. Thames , and 1 more

70sbachchan.bsky.social
Argentina edition of Libertarian bible
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Cas Mudde, Richard S.J. Tol , and 17 more

robertscotthorton.bsky.social
Trump said he deserved a cut for brokering the TikTok deal, and at once there was agreement that his son Baron would have a top executive slot... though he hasn't asked for it, and has no apparent qualifications to hold it. This is how Trump 2.0 works. www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025...
Barron Trump tipped for top TikTok job
US president’s 19-year-old son could be appointed to the app’s board
www.telegraph.co.uk
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

jinglespigtails.bsky.social
went out on my patio to document the hellscape
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Timothy Snyder, Steven Heydemann , and 12 more

atrupar.com
Trump: "Portland, I mean -- every time I look at that place it's burning down. There are fires all over the place. When a store -- there are very few of them left -- but when a store owner rebuilds a store they build it out of plywood. They don't put up storefronts anymore. They just put wood up."
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

owillis.bsky.social
Opposing a power mad despot is literally the most American thing an American can do. These guys got a lot wrong but they nailed that one. It is fundamental to the core of this country.
Signing of the Declaration of Independence
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

pavisuri.bsky.social
Lots of ways to understand the contemporary moment but one is the role of owners of immobile assets - oil, gas, coal and land- who want to ensure they can continue to extract rents (and pollute) and who prefer an authoritarian set up to do so. Their threat perception rises with every new eco tech
joshchafetz.bsky.social
Josh Chafetz @joshchafetz.bsky.social · 5d
This is a hell of a contrast to news that BLM has canceled a solar project in Nevada that would have delivered 6.2 GW of power. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/b...
Why China Built 162 Square Miles of Solar Panels on the World’s Highest Plateau
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

djpressman.bsky.social
MIT to US Dept of Education:
"Therefore, with respect, we cannot support the proposed approach to addressing the issues facing higher education."

Well done. United we stand, divided we fall.
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by Ryan Enos — Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

ryanenos.bsky.social
This is a lie. This "compact" punishes the criticism of conservative ideas and imposes ideological tests on faculty and students. If you can't defend your proposals on an honest basis, then your proposals are bad.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/10/o...
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Jan W. Mueller, John Quiggin , and 6 more

filipecampante.bsky.social
It might be hard to convey to people outside economics just how seismic this is. The Trump effect has most certainly arrived to US academia.
florianscheuer.bsky.social
Florian Scheuer @florianscheuer.bsky.social · 5d
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

🧵 1/7
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt

alonpinkas.bsky.social
newrepublic.com/maz/article/...
@newrepublic.com
@mjtoma.bsky.social
“For years, Netanyahu manipulated American Presidents. He tricked Bill Clinton; he swindled Obama; he took Biden for a ride. Now he is trying to con you on Gaza, President Trump.”
newrepublic.com
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Dani Rodrik, Cas Mudde , and 51 more

florianscheuer.bsky.social
I am delighted to share that Nobel laureates Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee will join our Department of Economics @econ.uzh.ch at the University of Zurich on July 1, 2026, as Lemann Foundation Professors of Economics.

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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Melissa Johnson, Gerald Friedman , and 2 more

thetnholler.bsky.social
🤷🏼
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Lisa W. Fazio, Margaret Mitchell , and 25 more

atrupar.com
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
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by Ryan Enos — Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Christopher Wright, Stacy D. VanDeveer

ryanenos.bsky.social
Call me old school, but I don't think a person illegally blowing up boats and unleashing masked goons on his citizens would be a serious candidate for a peace prize.
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Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Matthew P. McAllister, Sheila R. Foster , and 1 more

npr.org
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says. n.pr/47hcegr
Renewable energy outpaces coal for electricity generation in historic first, report says
For the first time on record, renewable energy generated more electricity for the planet than coal, a new report says.
n.pr
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by Ryan Enos — Reposted by Stephen M. Walt, Dani Rodrik, Scott L. Greer , and 3 more

ryanenos.bsky.social
Harvard (and all universities) must take a stand against Trump's extorionary "compact". Enos and Levitsky.
www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...
Harvard Must Take a Stand Against Trump’s Compact | Opinion | The Harvard Crimson
Harvard, rather than quietly pursuing its own appeasement strategy, should lead the way to preserve academic freedom and democracy.
www.thecrimson.com
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