Ron Schmidt
@rschmidt65.bsky.social
Maine professor, Machiavelli whisperer, Elle’s dad
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Anyway tons of room for legit disagreement but Deadwood is as good as any TV show ever so failing to make it top 10 is extremely weak.
September 24, 2026 at 8:28 PM
Anyway tons of room for legit disagreement but Deadwood is as good as any TV show ever so failing to make it top 10 is extremely weak.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
The problem with universities is that they produced things like the science predicting climate change and the science that race is a social construction and not predictive of anything other than discrimination. Maybe universities are under attack for their successes, not their failures.
Thank you for illustrating the very serious problem of everyone in society blaming universities for every single thing about American society that is a problem or they don't like
The societal purpose of universities is to capture enough of the smart people and imbue them with enough trust in the system that we don’t have excessive unibombers. Social trust in all institutions is thus still a sign US academia is failing.
July 17, 2026 at 3:44 PM
The problem with universities is that they produced things like the science predicting climate change and the science that race is a social construction and not predictive of anything other than discrimination. Maybe universities are under attack for their successes, not their failures.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Raising the Flag
Follow my work and writing on Substack: nickanderson.substack.com
Follow my work and writing on Substack: nickanderson.substack.com
May 14, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Raising the Flag
Follow my work and writing on Substack: nickanderson.substack.com
Follow my work and writing on Substack: nickanderson.substack.com
“Disrupt the Court’s monopoly on our constitutional imagination” is my new favorite battlecry
This is excellent. I want to preempt a legit concern, namely that there is no chance that Congress will actually do this.
1. We don’t know that, and shouldn’t assume it.
2. Even talking about this is good because it disrupts the Court’s monopoly on our constitutional imagination.
1. We don’t know that, and shouldn’t assume it.
2. Even talking about this is good because it disrupts the Court’s monopoly on our constitutional imagination.
By gutting the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court is killing the Second Reconstruction. The first Reconstruction shows how Congress should respond.
Me and Daphna Renan in the NYT on the tools we have to save democracy from a hostile Court.
Me and Daphna Renan in the NYT on the tools we have to save democracy from a hostile Court.
May 2, 2026 at 7:07 PM
“Disrupt the Court’s monopoly on our constitutional imagination” is my new favorite battlecry
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
(carter glass was the virginia lawmaker and newspaperman who was a key figure in the defeat of the readjusters, the imposition of jim crow in the commonwealth and later, the creation of modern financial regulation. fascinating figure, total bastard, kinda want to write about him.)
May 2, 2026 at 2:56 PM
(carter glass was the virginia lawmaker and newspaperman who was a key figure in the defeat of the readjusters, the imposition of jim crow in the commonwealth and later, the creation of modern financial regulation. fascinating figure, total bastard, kinda want to write about him.)
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Scalia, may he rest in torment, said that the overwhelming renewal of the VRA was not evidence of Congressional intent, but in fact evidence of the VRA’s *unfairness*, since everyone was too scared to vote against a “racial entitlement.” www.acslaw.org/expertforum/...
May 2, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Scalia, may he rest in torment, said that the overwhelming renewal of the VRA was not evidence of Congressional intent, but in fact evidence of the VRA’s *unfairness*, since everyone was too scared to vote against a “racial entitlement.” www.acslaw.org/expertforum/...
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Just a reminder that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was called, "An act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
April 29, 2026 at 7:40 PM
Just a reminder that the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was called, "An act to enforce the fifteenth amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Unacceptable. Jonathan Ross should be in custody awaiting trial for the murder of Renée Good.
May 1, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Unacceptable. Jonathan Ross should be in custody awaiting trial for the murder of Renée Good.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is out. He’s not a woman, Black, or LGBT, so that’s not the reason this time.
Frustrated with failing/lacking Iran strategy?
Told to do war crimes and said no?
Defended a Black or female officer’s promotion?
The White House’s behavior invites this speculation.
Frustrated with failing/lacking Iran strategy?
Told to do war crimes and said no?
Defended a Black or female officer’s promotion?
The White House’s behavior invites this speculation.
April 22, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan is out. He’s not a woman, Black, or LGBT, so that’s not the reason this time.
Frustrated with failing/lacking Iran strategy?
Told to do war crimes and said no?
Defended a Black or female officer’s promotion?
The White House’s behavior invites this speculation.
Frustrated with failing/lacking Iran strategy?
Told to do war crimes and said no?
Defended a Black or female officer’s promotion?
The White House’s behavior invites this speculation.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
8 children between the ages of 1 and 14 are dead after mass shooting in Louisiana.
A real government would do something about this thing that happens way too frequently in just this country alone.
kutv.com/news/nation-...
A real government would do something about this thing that happens way too frequently in just this country alone.
kutv.com/news/nation-...
8 children between the ages of 1 and 14 are dead after mass shooting in Louisiana: police
A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in domestic-related shootings at different homes early Sunday, police in Shreveport said.The victims ranged in age f
kutv.com
April 19, 2026 at 5:18 PM
8 children between the ages of 1 and 14 are dead after mass shooting in Louisiana.
A real government would do something about this thing that happens way too frequently in just this country alone.
kutv.com/news/nation-...
A real government would do something about this thing that happens way too frequently in just this country alone.
kutv.com/news/nation-...
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Ethnonational authoritarian regime.
"All but three of the 4,499 refugees let into the United States this fiscal year so far have come from South Africa...While more than 80% of South Africa’s population is Black, the Trump administration singled out white Afrikaners. The State Department data does not specify race."
Almost all US refugees are now from South Africa, as Trump focuses on Afrikaners
Virtually all of the refugees let into the U.S. over the past six months are from South Africa. President Trump prioritized white South Africans after dramatically cutting the program’s annual cap.
www.csmonitor.com
April 8, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Ethnonational authoritarian regime.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Facing the reality that brutality and cruelty also have tradeoffs and are not a secret weapon that facilitates an easy victory, they are furious at being embarrassed by their lessers and seeing their theory of the world publicly discredited (not that they would ever acknowledge that)
April 5, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Facing the reality that brutality and cruelty also have tradeoffs and are not a secret weapon that facilitates an easy victory, they are furious at being embarrassed by their lessers and seeing their theory of the world publicly discredited (not that they would ever acknowledge that)
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Like the problem is the rhetoric
Kaine: "I hope the White House -- I doubt the president will -- but please dial back the rhetoric ... it's juvenile"
April 5, 2026 at 3:13 PM
Like the problem is the rhetoric
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
The word you’re looking for is “evil.”
"ICE booked more than 3,800 children into detention during the first nine months of the new Trump administration."
apnews.com/article/chil...
apnews.com/article/chil...
Worms in food, poor medical care, lights on 24/7: Families tell of life in Texas detention center
When ICE officers in Minneapolis detained a 5-year-old boy and his father last month and sent them to a Texas detention center, many Americans were alarmed.
apnews.com
March 23, 2026 at 11:12 AM
The word you’re looking for is “evil.”
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
ICE is not TSA
ICE is not a substitute or even a suitable complement for TSA
ICE is not about transportation security
ICE is about dictator insecurity
I don’t want to fly if I have to see them at the airport
I’ll keep my money in my community instead
ICE is not a substitute or even a suitable complement for TSA
ICE is not about transportation security
ICE is about dictator insecurity
I don’t want to fly if I have to see them at the airport
I’ll keep my money in my community instead
March 23, 2026 at 2:51 PM
ICE is not TSA
ICE is not a substitute or even a suitable complement for TSA
ICE is not about transportation security
ICE is about dictator insecurity
I don’t want to fly if I have to see them at the airport
I’ll keep my money in my community instead
ICE is not a substitute or even a suitable complement for TSA
ICE is not about transportation security
ICE is about dictator insecurity
I don’t want to fly if I have to see them at the airport
I’ll keep my money in my community instead
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
seeing a lot of speculation on what trump's real goal for this is and i think it's important to remember that he's incredibly dumb, cruel to his core, is incapable of long term planning, and has little to no impulse control
Q: Will we see ICE arresting illegal migrants at airports?
TRUMP: Yeah. That's why the Democrats are going crazy. ICE loves it because they're able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country. It's very fertile territory.
TRUMP: Yeah. That's why the Democrats are going crazy. ICE loves it because they're able to now arrest illegals as they come into the country. It's very fertile territory.
March 23, 2026 at 3:07 PM
seeing a lot of speculation on what trump's real goal for this is and i think it's important to remember that he's incredibly dumb, cruel to his core, is incapable of long term planning, and has little to no impulse control
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
On Fox & Friends this morning they had on a TSA union guy, and when asked what ICE agents can do starting Monday he said I don’t know, the training program takes five months, without that they’d mainly be standing around being a distraction and slowing things down
President Donald Trump said Sunday border czar Tom Homan will be in charge of deploying ICE agents to airports on Monday, with Homan telling CNN the agents will assist with security at entrances and exits to ease TSA workload amid a partial government shutdown. https://cnn.it/4rSNfY7
March 22, 2026 at 2:19 PM
On Fox & Friends this morning they had on a TSA union guy, and when asked what ICE agents can do starting Monday he said I don’t know, the training program takes five months, without that they’d mainly be standing around being a distraction and slowing things down
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
EXCLUSIVE: At more than 30 installations, U.S. commanders told troops the war on Iran is a Christian war.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.
One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.
One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…
U.S. Troops Were Told Iran War Is for “Armageddon,” Return of Jesus
Advocacy group reports commanders giving similar messages at more than 30 installations in every branch of the military
jonathanlarsen.substack.com
March 3, 2026 at 1:54 AM
EXCLUSIVE: At more than 30 installations, U.S. commanders told troops the war on Iran is a Christian war.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.
One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation has been “inundated” with more than 110 complaints.
One NCO said they were told the U.S. war is to bring about Armageddon and the return of Jesus…
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
Key follow today and going forward
It's publication week! My new book takes a deep dive into how US policy on Iran has been made since the 1980's. It's a story of why US-Iran hostility has endured for now nearly half a century. Please check it out!
Enduring Hostility | Stanford University Press
A timely and rigorous analysis of a half-century of American policymakers' shifting perceptions of Iran, and how they have driven US-Iran relations.
www.sup.org
February 28, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Key follow today and going forward
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
The British monarchy is more accountable to the public than the American presidency.
February 19, 2026 at 2:04 PM
The British monarchy is more accountable to the public than the American presidency.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
I for one agree that we should no longer allow people to vote wearing identity-shielding masks and otherwise refusing to say who they are at polling places.
Emmer: "Another reform they claim they want is they want ICE agents to identify themselves, to show identification. But they don't want identification for voters in elections. I mean, this stuff is just intellectually inconsistent."
February 16, 2026 at 9:59 PM
I for one agree that we should no longer allow people to vote wearing identity-shielding masks and otherwise refusing to say who they are at polling places.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
It doesn't explain his relationship to the rest of the human race but a big part of RFK Jr.'s broader damage is clearly trying to find out if he can die. I guess if I had lived a life like his and was somehow still around drinking out of puddles at 72 I'd have some questions on that as well.
February 12, 2026 at 8:25 PM
It doesn't explain his relationship to the rest of the human race but a big part of RFK Jr.'s broader damage is clearly trying to find out if he can die. I guess if I had lived a life like his and was somehow still around drinking out of puddles at 72 I'd have some questions on that as well.
Reposted by Ron Schmidt
We have received numerous credible reports of torture, killing, and inhumane treatment of detained individuals at the Camp East Montana migrant detention facility, located within Fort Bliss. #txlege
February 10, 2026 at 6:47 PM
We have received numerous credible reports of torture, killing, and inhumane treatment of detained individuals at the Camp East Montana migrant detention facility, located within Fort Bliss. #txlege