Mark Masterson

Much like it’s taken some journalists years to admit that Donald Trump is indeed a fascist, so will others wait until we’re weeks, months or years into a war with Iran—or whichever countries he decides to target next—to say this needs to end. What would happen if, instead of waiting to see how this all plays out, we just say no, here and now. No waiting for the administration to get their story straight, no entertaining a million different justifications for why it’s actually worth all this death and destruction and money (Jesus Christ, the money!) What if those of us with a conscience and a modicum of influence just said no to war, regardless of oil prices, and before there are boots on the ground? If you draw a moral line mere days into this war, you won’t have to do years of soul-searching to figure out what was obvious from the start. You won’t have to conduct a years-long mea culpa campaign explaining how, as a “policy wonk,” you were so sure war was the right choice at the time, but you were indeed wrong. As nice as it is to see someone like Bill Kristol pivot late in life to policies more progressive than most of Congress and vocally opposing war in Iran, he can’t takesies backsies cheerleading a war that destroyed untold lives. Hindsight is not required for 20/20 vision; we need only pay attention to history.

www.thehandbasket.co/p/be-anti-wa...

Vexing Gender - Frank Garrett Online Our 2026 study group will read key texts by philosophers who work with and on the gender/sex problematic: Butler, Cixous, and Irigaray.

One more week before our philosophy study group starts back: frankgarrett.online/philosophy/g.... Come join us.

❤️ 💙 💜

Playing a musical instrument too. But absolutely this.

Picture of Attorney General with title "WILD COURT DRAMA -- MULTIPLE judges RIP Pam Bondi to SHREDS"

I'm thinking a production of Euripides' "The Bacchae" with her as Pentheus and a Chorus of Federal Judges.

A quote from me - “it’s pretty insulting to see scholarship used this way when the academic humanities are currently under attack from every possible angle — as though the actual people who do the thinking and produce the scholarship are reducible to their work itself, and can be removed entirely from the equation”

Went on record saying, essentially, “AI sucks, fund the humanities” today

I have been a subscriber since they started subscriptions and a reader since 2000. TPM is essential for understanding US politics all through this time and all the more so now in this age of billionaire induced rot.

He's like an eleven year old with no impulse control.

Throughout my career I was expected to be able to do *some* teaching in this area.

(so kind of in the game but not really)

(All of which kind of don't matter, as I retired and am but an adjunct fellow.)

Nic Smith, VC of Victoria University of Wellington, has resigned. He takes up the same position at Auckland in June. I have many inchoate thoughts about this.

I am IN LOVE omg

Soon I'm giving two public lectures at Scripps College in CA as part of the O'Brien Distinguished Visiting Professorship. LA-area friends, would love to see you there!

March 31, 4:30pm: Lyricism as Historiography of the Long Past

April 1, 4:15pm: Feminist Histories and the Problem of the Real

That feels like a good purchase on what's going on. @dreddieclark.bsky.social

"We owe conspiracy theorists a huge apology"

No we fucking don't. They were talking about a secret conspiracy of gay trans Jewish lizard people. The Epstein files uncovered a conspiracy of rich, straight, white, right-wing Christian men, which these motherfuckers never even considered.

❤️

The question of our time is how do you artistically rebel — and win — against a totally flat cultural landscape? And before my readers, who I assume are all approximately 36 years old and very tired, say, “so what, who cares?” This does matter. I mean, just look around right now lol. You know things are bad when even OpenAI President Greg Brockman is posting stuff, like “Taste is a new core skill.” If people had taste, your company wouldn’t exist, Greg. But if everything is just attention now, and attention is completely commodified by algorithmic tech platforms, how can you push back against that? Well, I am slowly coming around to a theory on the new cool: You have to essentially pre-deplatform yourself. Culture right now is determined not by human teams of editors and producers picking and choosing what youth culture gets the spotlight, but, instead, by the unthinking algorithms that power YouTube and TikTok. Which means the only things that have the level of scarcity and danger required to be seen as cool by young people will, slowly, but surely, be whatever is unacceptable on those platforms.

A post so smart I'm almost afraid to share it.

www.garbageday.email/p/the-only-t...

Have to check lexica, but boy this word has a physical vibe in my experience. E.g., crushing testicles as mode of castration uses this verb.

[chuckle]

YES!

that's, omg, sycophancy dot com

I am working on stuff that feels ever so adjacent too! Can't wait to read it.

💯 💯 💯

Copilot was put on phone in an update. What a nightmare to view an attachment in an email. FVCK!! Was able to delete the piece of sh*t. Thank God.

some tonic in the morning (it's morning here)

Is it both-siderism if you utterly loathe both sides?

Fingers crossed for you ❤️

Not remotely enough, you utter loser

What a great essay!!